Wright hang-back recession with fibrin glue compared with standard fixed suture recession for the treatment of horizontal strabismus.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of the novel Wright hang-back recession with fibrin glue for the treatment of horizontal strabismus.

Study Design: Retrospective, case-controlled clinical study comparing surgical outcomes of the Wright hang-back rectus recession with fibrin glue (WHBG) versus standard fixed suture rectus recession (SFR).

Methods: Medical records of all patients who underwent strabismus surgery by one strabismus surgeon between 2016 and 2018 for horizontal deviations only, including cases of WHBG (group 1) or SFR (group 2), were reviewed. Good surgical outcome was defined as a postoperative deviation ≤10 prism diopters (PD) at a minimum 2 months of follow-up.

Results: 32 eyes of 17 patients underwent WHBG and 32 eyes of 17 patients underwent SFR; in each group, 35% had esotropia and 65% had exotropia. Mean preoperative deviations between groups were similar: esotropia 25.5 PD and exotropia 26.6 PD in WHBG; esotropia 28.3 PD and exotropia 23.8 PD in SFR. The mean postoperative deviation was <7 PD for both groups. Good surgical outcomes were similar between groups, 16/17 (94%) in WHBG and 15/17 (88%) in SFR, with no complications.

Conclusions: WHBG was safe and effective with postoperative results similar to SFR. WHBG has an important advantage, eliminating the complication of retinal perforation that can occur with SFR while avoiding under- or overcorrection that can occur with traditional hang-back recession. This technique increases patient safety without sacrificing surgical outcomes and is especially useful in patients with thin sclera such as patients with high myopia or with difficult posterior exposure.