Relationship between stereopsis outcome and timing of surgical alignment in infantile esotropia.

Purpose: To clarify the relationship between stereopsis outcome and timing of surgical alignment in infantile esotropia.

Methods: The medical records of otherwise healthy patients with infantile esotropia who underwent surgery by 8 years of age were divided into the following groups according to age at time of surgery: very early surgery (≤8 months), early surgery (>8 to ≤24 months) and late surgery (>24 months). Binocular response and stereopsis were compared between groups.

Results: A total of 76 patients were included: 22 in the very early group, 30 in the early group, and 24 in the late group. Binocular response at near was found in 96% of the very early group and in 80% of the early group, significantly higher than the 50% of the late group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05 [Dunn test], resp.). Stereopsis was present in 77% of the very early group, significantly higher than the 20% of the early group and 13% of the late group (P < 0.001 [Dunn test]). A significant correlation was also found between age (months) at surgery and stereopsis (seconds) outcome (logarithmic fit: y = 2539.4ln(x) + 147.2; R = 0.2691; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: In this study cohort, earlier surgery was associated with better binocularity in patients with infantile esotropia. Our results suggest that very early surgery, at ≤8 months, can improve the chance for postoperative stereopsis, with the caveat that some infants might have had spontaneous esotropia resolution.