Lateral rectus resection versus lateral rectus plication in patients with residual esotropia

Background Muscle resection or plication is a common treatment for strabismus by strengthening the muscle. Lateral rectus muscle resection is a basic surgical technique for correcting residual esotropia. Plication approach is an alternative surgical technique to resection. Aim Is to compare the result of lateral rectus plication versus lateral rectus resection in patients with residual esotropia. Patients and methods This is a prospective, comparative, randomized interventional study which was carried on 40 eyes of 20 patients with residual esotropia All the patients underwent surgery to both eyes, they were divided into two groups according to surgical technique. Group A: 20 eyes of 10 patients underwent lateral rectus resection surgery. Group B: 20 eyes of 10 patients underwent lateral rectus plication. Results Postoperative success rate in two groups was 80% with main postoperative angle of deviation higher on group B. Conclusion Lateral rectus muscle plication technique is an alternative to resection that has the same effect as resection as obvious by the similar success rate that can be used on horizontal muscles especially when anterior ciliary vessel sparing is needed.