Adults with strabismus seek surgery for pyschosocial benefits

Abstract

Background/PurposeThe goal of strabismus surgery is to align the eyes, help eliminate diplopia, and restore and/or expand binocular visual function. Adults with strabismus are subjected to psychosocial prejudices, and many patients seek strabismus correction for these reasons. MethodsA surgical audit was performed on 91 adult patients, by a singular surgeon. The type of strabismus, preoperative measurements, and indications for surgery were obtained from the patient notes, as were all final outcomes. Final measurements, on average, were taken at 16 weeks postoperatively, and patients were asked to comment subjectively on their outcome. ResultsThe majority of patients were seeking surgery for combined psychosocial and cosmetic reasons (78.4%), or combined psychosocial and functional indications (9.6%), whereas the remainder were seeking surgery for functional indications only. Eighty-three percent of patients reached the desired surgical outcome of <10 prism dioptres; 97.6% were satisfied or very satisfied with their surgery, with the remaining patients having a neutral standpoint, and none were dissatisfied. ConclusionAdult strabismus surgery is highly successful and provides patients with a good level of satisfaction. Many patients seek surgical correction for cosmesis and psychosocial benefits.