A Comparative Analysis of Surgical Outcomes for Infantile Esotropia With and Without Prior Botulinum Toxin A Injection

Purpose: To compare the surgical outcomes in patients who had a failed botulinum toxin A injection before surgery versus those who had surgery as primary treatment (primary surgery) for infantile esotropia. Methods: The fi les of patients who had strabismus surger y in the Strabismus Unit of Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital between January 2012 and March 2022 were reviewed. This study included 104 eyes of 52 patients with infantile esotropia. The angle of deviation before and 1, 3, and 6 months after botulinum toxin A injection or surgery, complications, pattern deviations, family history, abnormal head position, history of prematurity, intensive care unit admission, and consanguineous marriage were noted. A successful outcome was defined as ocular alignment of 10 prism diopters (PD) or less. Results: The study population consisted of 52 patients: 27 (52%) boys and 25 (48%) girls. In the botulinum toxin A group (n = 26), the mean age at admission was 14.0 +/- 6.8 months, whereas the mean preoperative near and far angle of deviation were 41.92 +/- 12.2 and 41.3 +/- 13.0 PD, respectively. The mean age at the time of surgery was 40.6 +/- 18.1 months. In the primary surgery group (n = 26), the mean age at admission was 34.0 +/- 15.9 months. The mean preoperative near and far angle of deviation were 37.3 +/- 8.0 and 35.3 +/- 10.5 PD, respectively. The mean age at the time of surgery was 48.1 +/- 18.5 months. The success rates 6 months after treatment in the botulinum toxin A group and the primary surgery group were 76.9% and 88.5% in near (P > .05) and 80.8% and 88.5% in far (P > .05), respectively. Three patients had transient ptosis and one had consecutive exotropia after botulinum toxin A injection. Conclusions: In infantile esotropia treatment, strabismus surgery after failed botulinum toxin A injection compared to primary surgery has statistically comparable surgical success rates.