Revisiting Posterior Fixation Sutures Surgery: Unveiling Novel Approaches for Primary Management of Diverse Esotropia Cases

Trends and patterns in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus surgeries: a decade review from a leading Portuguese university hospital

PURPOSE

Strabismus and Pediatrics Ophthalmology surgeries are pivotal in addressing early-onset visual disorders. An 11-year retrospective study at a tertiary hospital center aimed to elucidate evolving surgical trends, focusing on esotropia cases.

METHODS

The surgical records from January 2009 to January 2020 were analyzed according to the baseline diagnosis. Esotropia cases were evaluated based on the patients' deviation types, surgical techniques, and pre-operative characteristics. A total of 2050 surgeries were performed over the study period.

RESULTS

Strabismus surgery accounts for 70% of the department's surgical activity. A trend toward a decrease in esotropia surgeries and a proportional increase in exotropia surgeries was noticeable. Esotropia cases, with a median surgical age of 6 years (p25-p75, 4-10) and uniform gender distribution (females, 54.8%), predominantly involved high angular deviations. Posterior fixation sutures emerged as the preferred surgical technique for esotropia.

CONCLUSION

The study's insights, while aligning with prior European research, introduce new dimensions to the understanding of strabismus surgeries, emphasizing the significance of early interventions, evolving surgical preferences, and the challenges posed by severe deviations.

What to expect from primary inferior oblique overaction after esotropia surgery : Primary inferior oblique overaction in esotropia

BACKGROUND

Overelevation in adduction is common in patients with primary esotropia. This study evaluates the variation in ocular motility pattern in patients with primary inferior oblique (IO) muscle overaction after esotropia surgery.

METHODS

The medical records of consecutive patients who underwent surgery for infantile, partially accommodative, and basic esotropia over eleven years and had at least one year of follow-up were reviewed. Patients with primary inferior oblique muscle overaction (IOOA) presented at baseline or during follow-up were selected and divided according to the first surgery performed concurrently with horizontal rectus surgery: without IO recession (NO-recess), with unilateral IO recession (UNIL-recess), and with bilateral IO recession (BIL-recess). The success (version normalisation or at least 2 points upgrade in severity scale [0-4] in the operated eye), recurrence rates, and the evolution of the non-operated IO muscles were evaluated.

RESULTS

One hundred and ten patients were included - 53 NO-recess, 26 UNIL-recess, and 31 BIL-recess. Medial rectus muscle posterior fixation sutures surgery (PFS) was performed in 88.2% of patients for esotropia. A recession with graded anterior transposition was the weakening IO procedure. In the NO-recess group, 28 (52.8%) patients normalised their mild IOOA after PFS surgery alone. In the UNI-recess group, the success rate was 88.5%, with 16 (61.5%) patients showing worsened IO muscle of the fellow eye, which prompted additional surgery in 10 patients. In the BIL-recess group, all 31 patients improved the adduction pattern of the operated eye for an 80.6% success rate (6 improved marginally).

CONCLUSION

Graded anterior transposition of the inferior oblique muscle effectively normalises versions. However, it's frequent for a contralateral overaction to become manifest after unilateral IO surgery.