Does Axial Length Influence the Dose Effect of Horizontal Strabismus Surgery?

Abstract

Background: Dose effect (DE) of strabismus surgery is thought to decrease with increasing axial length (AL), and it has been suggested that this effect may be more important in hyperopes over + 2 D. Here, we analyse the influence of AL on the DE of horizontal strabismus surgery in regard to its clinical relevance.

Methods: Retrospective chart analysis of patients who had undergone horizontal strabismus surgery between 2020 and 2023.

Statistical analysis: descriptive analysis and ANOVA (R 4.1.2).

Results: There were 65 patients (34 male and 31 female) included; mean age: 18.0 years (range 5 - 74). Mean AL was 23.50 mm (range: 20.80 - 28.50 mm). At the 3-month follow-up, 83.1% of patients demonstrated binocularity. Mean DE was 2.36 PD/mm at distance and 2.60 in near vision. There was no significant influence of AL on the DE of surgery (p = 0.30). However, DE was significantly higher in esotropia (n = 32) than exotropia (n = 33) in distant and near vision (p = 0.0 000 403) and in both groups, patients with positive binocularity had a significantly greater DE than patients without binocularity (p = 0.0032).

Conclusion: Our data showed no significant correlation between AL and the DE of surgery, while the type of strabismus and binocularity had a significant influence on the DE of surgery. However, AL is still important for surgical planning, in particular, to assess the risk of a deviating muscle path or thin sclera in high myopia.