To investigate preoperative concerns and expectations of caretakers and patients who underwent strabismus surgery and the patients course of return to daily life.

Eighty-five strabismus surgery patients were enrolled in this study. We performed a questionnaire survey including 11 questions about the concerns, expectations of strabismus surgery and the course of return to daily life after surgery. In total, 25 adult patients and 60 children with their caretakers were asked to fill out the questionnaire.

The results showed that 77% of all patients and their caretakers expected that the strabismus would be cured after a single operation. The greatest concern before surgery was the possibility of strabismus recurrence (60%). Fifty five percent of the patients reported the use of an eye patch for 2 weeks to 1 month after surgery and 88% of them showed a 75-100% increase in performance after the operation. The most common reason for decreased performance was the use of an eye patch (61%). Most patients returned to normal daily activities within 1 to 2 weeks after surgery.

Proper preoperative explanation about the possibility of recurrence may reduce concerns and false expectations about surgical outcomes. It appears to take 1 to 2 weeks for patients to return to their daily lives.