Strabismus Resulting from Retinal Detachment Surgery: Some Aspects of Management

Abstract

Ocular muscle imbalance after retinal detachment surgery is a common occurrence. It has been reported in up to 57% of cases (Amemiya,T. et al 1978),(Fison,P.N.: Chignell A.H.1987):(Mailette de Buy Wenniger-Prick,L: van Mourik-Noordenbos,A.1988), (Mets,M.B.et al 1985),(Smiddy,W.E.et al 1989). These patients fall into two groups. The first group are those patients who have such poor vision in the operated eye that they have no symptoms of diplopia. In this group, any surgical treatment is carried out for cosmetic reasons only, this group will not be discussed further. The second group have diplopia. This is the group in which the difficult challenge is to eliminate the diplopia. Some patients may obtain singular binocular vision by adopting an abnormal head posture. In others the use of prisms may eliminate the diplopia. The use of prisms has a limited place because the diplopia is usually incomitant in nature. Some patients with good vision in each eye may be asymptomatic. Either they are able to suppress and so overcome the diplopia or they may be able to ignore the second image.