In this study we evaluated the prognostic factors by comparing the clinical manifestation of consecutive exotropia after consecutive exotropia surgery.

We performed a retrospective study of 65 patients who had surgery due to consecutive exotropia after esotropia surgery in Yeungnam University Medical Center between July 1988 and December 2013. The type of esotropia, age at diagnosis of esotropia, type of esotropia surgery, age at esotropia surgery, type of consecutive exotropia surgery, age at consecutive exotropia surgery, presence of adduction limitation, presence of amblyopia, and preoperative and postoperative angles of strabismus were analyzed.

The mean follow-up time after consecutive exotropia surgery was 5.1 ± 5.2 years and 50 of 65 patients showed successful surgical outcomes at the last follow-up. Cumulative success rate of consecutive exotropia remained stable postoperatively in 68.2% of patients after 7.7 years. When comparing the success group and the recurrent group, the age at consecutive exotropia surgery was significantly younger and mean follow-up time was significantly longer in the recurrent group. The mean interval between consecutive exotropia surgery and recurrence of exotropia was 16.9 months in the recurrent group. The mean angle of strabismus at postoperative 1 week was significantly different between the 2 groups; 0.5 prism diopters (PD) esodeviation in the success group and 4.5 PD exodeviation in recurrent group.

Recurrence of consecutive exotropia frequently developed with younger age at consecutive exotropia surgery and exodeviation at postoperative 1 week. Recurrent consecutive exotropia should be observed for an extended period, thus requiring periodic long-term postoperative follow-ups.