To determine the sensory outcomes of congenital exotropic patients undergoing the strabismus surgery between 2006 and 2016.

In the present study, medical record of the congenital exotropic patients with a large and constant exodeviation and a strabismus onset within the first year of life were evaluated. A total of 68 cases with age ≥5 years old and the postoperative follow-up ≥3 months were recruited. Cases with a history of prematurity, trauma, systemic and neurologic diseases, ocular anomalies and fixational disorders were excluded. Age of strabismus onset, time of surgery, refractive errors, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), angle of deviation, stereopsis, retinal correspondence and the suppression status were recorded.

In the present study, a total of 71 cases were included. Cases with mental retardation (n=1), cerebral palsy (n=1) and nystagmus (n=1) were excluded. There was a same distribution of 50% between males and females with a mean age of 15.26±8.20 years old (range: 5 to 37). All patients were followed up for an average of 53.9±32.80 months (range: 12 to 144). Amblyopia was obtained at 10.30% of patients having the BCVA?20/40 or at least two lines difference between their two eyes. Anisometropia (SE?1.50D) was observed in 3% of cases. In addition, 33.30% had residual exotropia with a mean deviation of 13±11pd and there was no any cases with consecutive esotropia. 66.70% had an angle of deviation in the range of 0 to 10pd (orthotropia). Fine (?100sec/arc) and gross (100-3000sec/arc) stereopsis were detected in 50% and 45.6% of our study population, respectively. Most of the patients (92.60%) had no suppression. Among the study subjects, 12% were reoperated by resection of medial rectus muscles.

Our findings reveals that strabismus surgery on congenital exotropic children is successful in both motor and sensory outcomes which will be sustained even after the long term follow-up.