Outcome of strabismus surgery by nonadjustable suture among adults attending a university hospital of Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcome and safety of surgical treatment of Saudi adult patients with strabismus by nonadjustable suture and to evaluate the prevalence of diplopia and binocularity after strabismus correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical records of 96 patients above the age of 16-years old with strabismus seen at the King Fahd Hospital of the King Faisal University (KFUH) from July 1st, 2000 to June 30th, 2007 who were underwent strabismus correction surgery. The demographic variables: pre- and post-operative alignment, binocularity, and visual acuity were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 96 patients of whom 63 (66%) patients were male and 33 (34%) patients were female, aged 16 years and above underwent strabismus correction, 83 (86%) patients ended with postoperative orthophoria, 13 (14%) patients ended with postoperative residual deviation, 83 patients (86%) had defective vision with amblyopia. Improvement of binocularity and binocular visual acuity postoperatively was achieved in 32(33%). Forty (42%) of our patients developed transient diplopia postoperatively which disappeared within 6 weeks while only three developed permanent diplopia. The main cause of adult strabismus was childhood squint in 83 (86%) patients and traumatic in 3 (13%). CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of strabismus in Saudi adult with nonadjustable suture is safe and effective procedure with low risk of complication and the incidence of diplopia is rare with better binocularity and binocular visual acuity.