We reviewed the clinical features of intermittent exotropic patients who experienced recurrence after reoperation for intermittent exotropia, and identified the risk factors and prognoses.

The incidences, risk factors, treatment modalities, and prognoses of patients with recurrent exotropia were analyzed in 39 patients who underwent reoperation due to a relapse of exotropia after the first intermittent exotropia.

Among 39 patients, 24 (61.5%) had recurrent intermittent exotropia and 15 patients had no recurrence with intermittent exotropia. There was no difference in the recurrence of intermittent exotropia with age, deviation, refraction, anisometropia, outward discrepancy, and the vertical deviation before the reoperation. However, when the first operation was performed with bilateral lateral rectus recession and the reoperation was performed with bilateral medial rectus resection or unilateral medial rectus resection, intermittent exotropia tended to recur more than when the first operation was performed with one eye with lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection, followed by reoperation with the other lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection ( p < 0.05). In addition, an esodeviation <10 prism diopters, orthophoria, or exotropia on the first postoperative day showed a tendency to relapse more than an esodeviation >10 prism diopters ( p < 0.05).

The factors affecting recurrence after intermittent exotropia surgery involve surgical factors such as the surgical method and the postoperative overcorrection.