Outcomes of Medial Rectus Recession With Adjustable Suture in Acute Concomitant Esotropia of Adulthood

Purpose: To review and analyze the surgical outcomes of bilateral medial rectus recession with adjustable suture in acute concomitant esotropia of adulthood (ACEA). Methods: The charts of all adults diagnosed as having ACEA between 2004 and 2017 were reviewed. Best corrected visual acuity, refractive error, ocular alignment measured in prism diopters (PD), and stereopsis were examined at presentation, 1 day postoperatively, and final follow-up visit (median: 10 months; range: 4 to 144 months). All patients underwent bilateral medial rectus recession using adjustable suture surgery and topical anesthesia. Statistical analysis was used to calculate surgical dose-responses and to study possible correlations with clinical parameters. Results: Fifteen patients diagnosed as having ACEA were included. The mean age was 39.2 +/- 10.7 years, and the mean refractive errors in the right and left eyes were -3.97 +/- 2.87 and -3.60 +/- 2.74 diopters (D), respectively. Average esotropia deviations at near and distance were 22.7 +/- 7.2 and 23.0 +/- 7.5 PD. All patients improved with medial rectus recession (mean: 12.0 +/- 2.2 mm) with a final mean deviation of 0.7 +/- 1.8 PD. The mean dose-responses at 1 day postoperatively and final visit were 1.86 +/- 0.58 and 1.83 +/- 0.43 PD/mm, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between surgical dose-responses at 1 day postoperatively and final visit and preoperative deviation (R-2= 0.55; P < .001; R-2= 0.66; P < .001), whereas there were no significant correlations with age, sex, refractive error, BCVA, or stereopsis (all P > .05). Conclusions: Good postoperative and final outcomes are achieved with large medial rectus recessions in ACEA. A larger dose-response can be expected in large preoperative deviations, independent of other clinical and ocular parameters.