Improved sensory status and quality-of-life measures in adult patients after strabismus surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the change in sensory status and quality-of-life measures in adults with long-standing childhood-onset constant strabismus.


METHODS
Consecutive patients with childhood-onset, long-term constant strabismus were enrolled. Sensory status was examined with Bagolini striated glasses test and Worth 4-dot test. Stereopsis was tested with the Lang and TNO stereopsis tests. Quality of life was studied with 2 different questionnaires (Short Form Health Survey [SF-36] and the Amblyopia and Strabismus Questionnaire [A&SQ]), which patients completed before and 3 months after strabismus surgery.


RESULTS
A total of 20 patients (age range, 18-63 years) were included, 10 of whom were esotropic and 10 of whom were exotropic. Of these, 13 obtained a satisfactory postoperative alignment and demonstrated an increase of sensory status with Bagolini striated glasses. Six patients who demonstrated suppression preoperatively achieved fusion and stereopsis postoperatively. The mean score in all domains of the A&SQ improved significantly, particularly with regard to social contact and cosmesis (P = 0.00067), distance estimation (P = 0.000312), and visual disorientation (P = 0.004777). Similarly, the mean score in 7 of 8 areas in the SF-36 improved significantly, particularly with regard to physical function (P = 0.000564), general health (P = 0.002296), vitality (P = 0.002891), social function (P = 0.004234), and mental health (P = 0.000334). The overall mean score of both questionnaires improved in all patients with a satisfactory postoperative alignment and increase of sensory status.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical treatment of strabismus in adults with long-standing childhood-onset constant strabismus can result in patients feeling that their quality of life has improved and can restore binocular sensory function.
Institute of Ophthalmology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Anna
A
Dickmann
Stefania
S
Aliberti
Maria Teresa
MT
Rebecchi
Irene
I
Aprile
Annabella
A
Salerni
Sergio
S
Petroni
Rosa
R
Parrilla
Vittoria
V
Perrotta
Emiliana
E
Di Nardo
Emilio
E
Balestrazzi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003867:Depth Perception / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013285:Strabismus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult