Unilateral Inferior Oblique Weakening for the Correction of Hypertropia in Primary Position

Abstract

The authors present their experience with the correction of hypertropia in primary position by unilateral inferior oblique weakening, in patients who have inferior oblique overaction of only one eye or a marked overaction in the hypertropic eye and only a mild overaction in the other eye. In 19 patients who had a recession of the inferior oblique, they achieved an average correction of 8.4Δ ± 4.0Δ of the hypertropia. There was no increase in or new development of an inferior oblique overaction in the non-operated eye. In seven patients who presented with a decompensated DVD with a large hypertropia and amblyopia, they performed a unilateral anterior transposition of the affected eye. They achieved an average correction of 20.3Δ of the hypertropia and a mild limitation of elevation of the operated eye. In each case there was a small hypotropia of the operated eye.Unilateral weakening of the inferior oblique is a good procedure for correcting hypertropia, provided that certain restrictions are observed.