What is the most frequent complication of strabismus surgery?

The most frequent complication of strabismus surgery is under correction. This occurs when the surgical adjustments made to align the eyes do not achieve the desired result, leaving the patient with residual misalignment. Under correction can be particularly common because it can be challenging to anticipate how much muscle adjustment is needed during surgery, as individual anatomical variations in the eye can influence the outcome.

In strabismus surgery, the goal is to realign the eyes and improve binocular vision. However, if the alignment is not fully achieved during the procedure, it can result in the patient still experiencing strabismus symptoms post-operation, which may necessitate additional surgical procedures or interventions. This frequent occurrence highlights the importance of careful preoperative assessment and surgical planning.

Other complications such as overcorrection, infection, and loss of vision, while serious, occur less frequently compared to under correction. Overcorrection can also result in misalignment, but it generally happens less often than under correction. Infection is a risk in any surgical procedure but is not specific to strabismus surgery and is often managed effectively with proper sterilization techniques and postoperative care. Loss of vision is a very rare complication in strabismus surgery, making it a less common concern when evaluating typical postoperative outcomes.