Evidence Basis for Surgical Correction of Intermittent Exotropia

Abstract

An evidence basis for surgical correction of intermittent exotropia is limited. One randomized controlled trial found an advantage of unilateral two-rectus muscle recession surgery compared with bilateral lateral rectus muscle surgery after one year of follow-up. One prospective trial compared observation with surgery and found surgery to be associated with improvement in quality of life, but noted that 10 of 25 patients were thought to have unsatisfactory alignment 9 months after surgery. Results of a randomized controlled surgical trial of intermittent exotropia including 265 participants with 3-year follow-up by the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group are anticipated in 2017.