Influence of one or two horizontal muscle surgeries on OCT findings

ABSTRACT

We investigate the effects of differences between one or two horizontal rectus muscle surgeries (recession ± resection) on the central macular thickness (CMT), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). Measurements of the CMT, SFCT, and RNFL in patients who underwent horizontal rectus muscle surgery were obtained using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Patients were grouped as those who had undergone rectus muscle recession surgery (Group 1) and those who had undergone rectus muscle recession + resection surgery (Group 2). The CMT, SFCT, and RNFL in patients were measured preoperatively and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. A total of 65 eyes of 50 patients were analyzed retrospectively. The average age of the 25 patients in Group 1 was 8.96 ± 7.966 years (min 3, max 38). The average age of the 25 patients in Group 2 was 15.17 ± 6.806 years (min 2, max 34). The comparison of the preoperative and the 1-day and 1-week postoperative values revealed an increase in CMT and SFCT in Group 1 and Group 2. There were no significant differences between the two groups. It was observed that this increase reached the preoperative values after 1–3 months and 6 months in both groups. There was no statistically significant change in the RNFL. Rectus muscle surgery (recession±resection) caused an increase in CMT and SFCT in the early stage, which was possibly caused by the altered choroidal microcirculation resulting from mechanical traction during surgery and by postoperative inflammation. There was no difference between one or two muscle surgeries.

KEYWORDS:

• Choroidal thickness
• macular thickness
• optical coherence tomography
• strabismus surgery