title: Postoperative changes in spatial localization following exotropia surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure changes in spatial localization following exotropia surgery using a computer touch-screen method of measurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enrolled in the study were 60 exotropia patients, all of whom had undergone corrective muscle surgeries under general anesthesia: 37 patients had undergone unilateral lateral rectus or bilateral lateral rectus muscle recession procedures (recession group) and 23 patients had undergone unilateral lateral and medial rectus muscle resection (R&R), or unilateral medial rectus resection only (resection group). We evaluated spatial localization by having patients point to targets on a computer touch-screen before surgery, and 1 day and 1 month after surgery. The pointing error, Δp, is defined as the difference between the actual location of the target and the pointed-to location of the target by unsigned value, was recorded as the mean of five tests. We compared the extent of postoperative changes in Δp between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean Δp before surgery did not differ statistically between the two groups (p = 0.93). One day after surgery, however, the postoperative change in Δp of the resection group compared with that of the recession group (2.0 ± 0.7° and 0.4 ± 0.5°, respectively) was significant (p = 0.01 and p = 0.86 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ability for spatial localization is decreased in patients immediately following medial rectus resection, but is regained by 1 month following surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Eun
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoonae A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005099:Exotropia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013028:Space Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult