Comparison of two different surgical techniques for the treatment of strabismus in dysthyroid ophthalmopathy.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Surgical management of strabismus caused by dysthyroid ophthalmopathy has a history of variable success outcomes ranging from 43% to 82%. Previous studies showed that correcting the restricted duction seen in thyroid eye disease, rather than the deviation as is done in other types of strabismus surgery, resulted in markedly improved success rates. Other investigators have recommended a change in the approach to the surgical management of dysthyroid ophthalmopathy. METHODS: Retrospective comparison of sequential case series. RESULTS: The data of 86 patients were retrospectively reviewed, including 52 in the deviation correction group and 34 in the duction correction group, with 74 deviation correction operations and 47 duction correction operations. A successful outcome, defined as postoperative deviation less than or equal to 5(Delta), was seen in 72% of deviation corrections operations and 66% of duction correction operations (p = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, no difference in outcome between surgical corrections of restricted duction versus deviation was demonstrated.