Bilateral medial rectus muscle recession and lateral rectus muscle resection in the treatment of congenital esotropia.

In a retrospective study of 36 patients with congenital esotropia treated surgically by bilateral medial rectus muscle recession and lateral rectus muscle resection, we found that 22 patients (61%) had not required further surgery and that 14 patients (39%) had required further corrective surgery. Seven of these 14 patients had overcorrections and seven had undercorrections. Patients who required a second operation were significantly younger (mean age, 12 months) than those who did not (mean age, 23 months). The most common second surgical procedure was bilateral tenotomy or disinsertion of the inferior oblique muscle. Bilateral medial rectus muscle recession and lateral rectus muscle resection is useful in severe (50 prism diopters or more) congenital esotropia. The surgical success rate may be improved with bilateral inferior oblique muscle disinsertions or tenotomies in patients with inferior oblique muscle overaction. Accurate preoperative examinations in patients old enough to cooperate may help avoid overcorrection and undercorrection.