Outcomes of augmented surgery for exotropia
Reviewed by Fiona Rowe

This was a prospective study to assess patients with basic type intermittent exotropia of 15-45PD in angle and who were operated with augmented bilateral lateral rectus recessions with conjunctival recession, and followed postoperatively for six months. The study included 15 patients with mean age of 19.6 ±6.76 years (9.31); eight males and seven females. Forty percent were myopic, 40% hypermetropic and 20% astigmatic. Preoperative angle was 30.80 ±9.56PD at near and 33.93 ±9.97PD at distance, reducing to 6.73 ±2.15 at near and 5.6 ±1.5PD at distance postoperatively. On the first postop day, 93.3% were ortho at near and distance, and one had consecutive esotropia. At six months follow-up, all were ortho at distance; two had esotropia at near, one had residual exotropia and 12 were ortho at near. The patients with consecutive esotropia were given alternate occlusion and resolved. The patient with residual exotropia was given orthoptic exercises. The authors acknowledge the limitations of their study with small sample size and no control arm. They recommend further studies but conclude this surgery leads to good surgical outcomes with less under correction and recurrence. Thus, it may be a good alternative to conventional lateral rectus recession.

Surgical outcomes of augmented bilateral lateral rectus recession with conjunctival recession in patients with intermittent exotropia.
Verma R, Singh A, Agrawal A, et al.
STRABISMUS
2020;29(2):208-14.