Arq. Bras. Oftalmol. 2026;89 (1 )
:1-6
| DOI: 10.5935/0004-2749.2025-0071
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of strabismus surgical correction in patients with Down syndrome.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with Down syndrome who underwent strabismus surgery between January 1997 and May 2024 at an Ophthalmology Outpatient Clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. The data collected included age, sex, medical and ocular history, surgical details, and follow-up outcomes. The patients were categorized by strabismus type into esotropia, fourth nerve palsy, and mixed groups. Surgical success was defined as final alignment within 10Δ of orthotropia and, where applicable, whether there was resolution of abnormal head posture of ocular origin. Patients with postoperative follow-up <6 months were excluded.
RESULTS: A total of 37 patients (21 females) were included. Of these, 22 (59.5%) were in the esotropia group, 10 (27.0%) in the fourth nerve palsy group, and 5 (13.5%) in the mixed group. The surgical success rate in the esotropia group was 86.4%, with a mean preoperative deviation of 35.2 (± 6.5)Δ, and mean surgical correction of 30.1 (± 10.4)Δ. The success rate in the fourth nerve palsy group was 40.0%, with a mean preoperative deviation of 10.4 (± 4.3)Δ. Overall, success was achieved with a single surgical procedure in 73.0% of the sample. No significant associations were found between surgical success and the clinical and demographic variables, including sex, age at surgery, oblique muscle overaction, pattern strabismus, visual acuity, amblyopia, preoperative deviation, or postoperative follow-up duration (p>0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: When standard surgical tables are applied, strabismus surgery in patients with Down syndrome appears to be safe and effective. We found high success rates, particularly among patients with esotropia. We observed no tendencies toward over- or under-correction. These findings support the use of conventional surgical protocols with this patient population.
Keywords: Down Syndrome/complications; Strabismus/surgery; Esotropia/surgery; Oculomotor nerve diseases/physiopathology; Vision disorders; Humans; Brazil.
Arq. Bras. Oftalmol. 2024;87 (5 )
:1-7
| DOI: 10.5935/0004-2749.2023-0296
Abstract
PURPOSE: To compare inferomedial wall orbital decompression to balanced medial plus lateral wall orbital decompression in patients with Graves’ orbitopathy in the inactive phase with regard to exophthalmos reduction and the effects on quality of life.
METHODS: Forty-two patients with inactive Graves’ orbitopathy were randomly divided into two groups and submitted to one of two orbital decompression techniques: inferomedial wall orbital decompression or medial plus lateral wall orbital decompression. Preoperative and postoperative assessments included Hertel’s exophthalmometry and a validated Graves’ orbitopathy quality of life questionnaire. The results of the two groups were compared.
RESULTS: Compared to preoperative measurement, exophthalmos reduction was statistically significant in both groups (p<0.001) but more so in patients undergoing medial plus lateral wall orbital decompression (p=0.010). Neither orbital decompression techniques increased the visual functioning subscale score on the Graves’ orbitopathy quality of life questionnaire (inferomedial wall orbital decompression p=0.362 and medial plus lateral wall orbital decompression p=0.727), but a statistically significant difference was observed in the score of the appearance subscale in patients submitted to medial plus lateral wall orbital decompression (p=0.006).
CONCLUSIONS: Inferomedial wall orbital decompression is a good alternative for patients who do not require large exophthalmos reduction. However, medial plus lateral wall orbital decompression offers greater exophthalmos reduction and greater improvement in appearance (higher Graves’ orbitopathy quality of life questionnaire scores), making it a suitable option for esthetic-functional rehabilitation.
Keywords: Graves’ ophthalmopathy; Quality of life; Exophthalmos; Strabismus; Diplopia; Decompression, surgical