Purpose: We assessed the relationship between the surgical outcome of intermittent exotropia and initial postoperative alignment by checking it on the first postoperative day or the day of strabismus surgery. Methods: Seventy-three patients with intermittent exotropia underwent bilateral lateral rectus recession or unilateral medial rectus resection and lateral rectus recession. Thirty-two patients had their postoperative alignment checked on the day of surgery, and forty-one patients were checked on the first postoperative day. Success was defined as sustained alignment six months postoperatively from esotropia 10PD to exotropia 10PD. Overcorrection was defined as esotropia greater than 11PD, and undercorrection was exotropia greater than 11PD. We assessed the relationship between the alignment on the day of surgery or on the first postoperative day and also at six months postoperatively, as well as the success rate according to the initial postoperative alignment. Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between alignments on the day of surgery or on the first postoperative day and those at six months postoperatively (p