Functional benefits of adult strabismus surgery.

The most common functional benefits from strabismus surgery in the adult patient are restoration of binocular vision and elimination of diplopia and/or a compensatory head posture. Adult patients with chronic strabismus have been thought to have the potential to achieve only a cosmetic result from surgery. On the contrary, several studies have shown that unexpected sensory fusion is possible after excellent postoperative motor alignment in these patients. Other functional benefits of strabismus surgery in the adult patient include the expansion of binocular visual fields in patients with esotropia and the psychosocial and economic benefits from restoration of ocular alignment. This paper will explore the impact of untreated strabismus in the adult patient and what changes occur in the patient's quality of life once strabismus has been successfully treated.