title: Characteristics of recession-resection and bimedial recession for childhood esotropia.
abstract: Of 367 unilateral medial rectus recessions-lateral rectus resections and bilateral medial rectus recessions performed for childhood esotropia from 1960 through 1980, a total of 206 met the requirements for a comparative study. Preoperative and postoperative amblyopia was more prevalent in the recession-resection population and was attributed to the more common occurrence of monocular esotropia in patients undergoing recession-resection. Postoperative ocular alignment was better and the need for subsequent strabismus surgery was less in patients who initially underwent recession-resection. Because preoperative esotropia was found to be significantly greater in three of the four categories recorded among the bimedial recession population, we could not state that recession-resection was the "better" operation. Contrary to our previous recommendations for graded recessions, we now believe that maximal (5-mm) bimedial rectus recessions should be performed initially.
mesh_terms: D000550:Amblyopia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004948:Esotropia / Q000151:congenital / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013285:Strabismus / Q000601:surgery*