Analysis of the Changes and Possible Reasons in Aberrations before and after Surgery in Patients with Concomitant Exotropia

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to observe the changes in aberrations before and after surgery in patients with common horizontal strabismus and to analyze the possible reasons for the changes. METHODS: Forty eyes of 40 cases with concomitant exotropia who underwent strabismus correction at the Ophthalmology Department of Nantong University Hospital from October 2020 to July 2021 were included in this study, all of whom underwent unilateral lateral rectus recession combined with a medial rectus resection in the same eye. Aberration parameters were measured 1 day before surgery and 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. Differences in the indicators at each time period were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) of repeated measures data for a single factor, and data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 statistical application software. RESULTS: 5 mm pupil diameter: the preoperative and postoperative RMS of total aberration showed statistically significant difference (P < 0.01). Postoperation test (Bonferroni method) and preoperative comparison at each period after surgery showed statistically significant differences between 6 months after surgery (P=0.002) and preoperative comparison. The preoperative and postoperative comparison of RMS in LOAs was statistically significant (P < 0.01); postoperative test (Bonferroni method) and preoperative comparison showed that there were statistically significant differences between 1 week (P=0.033) and 6 months (P=0.002) after operation. The difference of RMS of defocus before and after operation was statistically significant (P < 0.01); postoperation test (Bonferroni method) and preoperative comparison showed that there was statistically significant difference between 6 months after operation (P=0.007) and preoperative comparison. There was statistically significant difference in preoperative and postoperative RMS of HOAs (P=0.013). Postoperative test (Bonferroni method) and preoperative comparison showed that there was statistically significant difference 6 months after surgery (P=0.03). The RMS of secondary astigmatism showed a statistically significant difference before and after operation (P=0.001), and the postoperation test (Bonferroni method) showed a statistically significant difference 6 months after operation (P=0.002). In 5 mm pupil diameter, the preoperative and postoperative RMS of total aberration showed statistically significant difference (P < 0.01), postoperative test (Bonferroni method) was used to compare each period after surgery with that before surgery, and there were statistically significant differences between 1 week after surgery (P=0.034), 3 months after surgery (P=0.033), and 6 months after surgery (P=0.003). The preoperative and postoperative comparison of RMS in LOAs was statistically significant (P < 0.01), postoperative test (Bonferroni method) was used to compare each period after surgery with that before surgery, and there were statistically significant differences between 1 week after surgery (P=0.04), 3 months after surgery (P=0.034), and 6 months after surgery (P=0.004). The difference of RMS of defocus before and after surgery was statistically significant (P=0.002), and the comparison between postoperation test (Bonferroni method) and preoperation showed that the difference was statistically significant 6 months after surgery (P=0.027). The RMS of astigmatism showed statistically significant difference before and after operation (P=0.002), and the postoperation test (Bonferroni method) showed statistically significant difference between 6 months after operation (P=0.009) and before operation. CONCLUSION: We found that horizontal rectus surgery had a transient effect on LOAs and almost no effect on HOAs. Long-term follow-up is recommended after strabismus surgery to observe eye position and binocular visual function. Because of the high prevalence of strabismus in adolescents, long-term observation of the eye axis and aberration is recommended.