Abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the difference of the clinical course in recurrent intermittent exotropia after second surgery compared with both recurrent intermittent exotropia after its first of two surgeries and intermittent exotropia after only a single surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with intermittent exotropia who underwent lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection (R&R) between January 1992 and January 2011 at Yeungnam University Hospital. Repeated measure ANOVA (rmANOVA) was used to compare the clinical course of recurrent intermittent exotropia before and after a second surgery with that of intermittent exotropia with a single surgery. RESULTS: A total of 352 intermittent exotropia patients who underwent one R&R procedure and 77 recurrent intermittent exotropia patients who underwent a second R&R in the contralateral eye were included in this study. Although exodrift of recurrent intermittent exotropia was observed at 24 months of follow-up even after a second surgery, it was significantly lower than both intermittent exotropia with a single surgery and after its first of two surgeries (P<0.001, rmANOVA). CONCLUSION: The clinical course of recurrent intermittent exotropia after a second surgery was improved compared with both recurrent intermittent exotropia after its first of two surgeries and intermittent exotropia after a single surgery.