In this study, we found that approximately 24% of adults still have a sense of deviation despite being classified as having a successful surgical outcome. Subjects with a self-reported sense of deviation exhibited worse stereo function, more vertical deviation, and worse HRQOL than those without a sense of deviation. The presence of vertical deviation was identified as a factor related to a sense of deviation.
Successful alignment criteria were not consistent in previous studies, as noted in Table 5. Here, we used criteria for a successful outcome that included motor alignment and the desired diplopia (no diplopia/visual confusion at primary and reading positions).[9] When we used the success criteria of within 10 pd horizontal and 2 pd vertical deviations, the incidence of self-reported sense of deviation would be reduced from 24% to 16%. Furthermore, we didn’t find any factors associated with subjects’ sense of deviation.
Our study confirmed that surgical outcome assessment reveals different perspectives between patients and physicians. Beauchamp et al. found that a difference in severity ratings between patients and physicians improved after surgery.[17]A lower percentage of subjects reported a sense of deviation after surgery in our study than in a report by Satterfield et al. , where in 84% of subjects reported a sense of deviation. However, this group did not assess the actual deviation of the subjects, and the subjects reported an inability to perform stereo tasks and an inability to use both eyes together in that study.[5] Moreover, 23% (5/22) and 36% (8/22) of subjects with a sense of deviation had normal/partial normal stereo function and sensory fusion, respectively, in our study.
We report that changes in deviation and post-operative horizontal deviation did not differ between subjects in the two groups. A previous study demonstrated no significant correlation between psychosocial distress and deviation changes after surgery, whereas social anxiety and social avoidance (assessed using the Derriford Appearance Scale (DAS-24)) were both correlated with post-operative deviation and subjective strabismus severity (assessed via visual analogue scale (VAS)). However, the correlation between objective deviation size and subjective strabismus severity was not assessed in that study.[7]
Female gender and a lower socioeconomic status have been associated with worse psychosocial aspects pre-operatively and/or post-operatively.[10,20] We identified no significant difference in demographics, e.g., gender, age, occupation and education level, between subjects with and without a sense of deviation, although socioeconomic status as well as social anxiety was not reviewed in the current study. Social anxiety levels have also been reported be related to post-operative HRQOL in adult patients.[21]
Post-operative HRQOL, as assessed using the CAS-20, was enhanced in subjects with no sense of deviation compared with those with a sense of deviation in the present study. This finding implies that post-operative HRQOL assessment can be applied as a criterion to evaluate the subjective outcome of surgery. As recent studies have suggested that motor alignment criteria cannot comprehensively represent a patient’s post-operative status, this information combined with HRQOL tests may serve as a more useful method to evaluate successful outcome judgements.[9, 22]
The presence of vertical deviation was identified as a factor related to the sense of deviation in the current study. Compared with the post-op within 2 pd vertical group , the post-op within 5 pd vertical group had worse sensory fusion, worse stereo function and lower HRQOL scores. In clinical work, these 3 to 5 pd vertical deviations (including a certain degree of phoria) were not obvious in appearance when combined with multiplanar deviations, especially with a large angle horizontal deviation. Although approximately 45% (10/22) of subjects with a self-reported sense of deviation exhibited a small vertical deviation, it is possible that this small vertical deviation could lead to asthenopia[23] or abnormal head posture.[24] However, asthenopia and abnormal head posture were not assessed in the current study. This finding also implied that even a small vertical deviation should be treated comprehensively.
There were some limitations to this study. First, we used criteria for a successful outcome that included motor alignment (no greater than 10 pd horizontal and 5 pd vertical deviations) and the desired diplopia (no diplopia/visual confusion at primary and reading positions), whereas some previous studies use a lower threshold for vertical alignment (2 pd). When we used the stricter definition (within 10 pd horizontal and 5 pd vertical deviations), we didn’t find any factors associated with subjects’ sense of deviation. Further evaluations should be combined with more factors in future studies.
Second, although social anxiety levels have been reported to be related to the judgement of post-operative HRQOL in adult patients[21] and although psychosocial characteristics are thought to play a more important role than clinical aspects in the well-being of populations with strabismus,[25] we did not review psychosocial features, e.g., social anxiety and depression, we also did not review other factors that may influence the patient's perspective, such as palpebral fissure width, persistent redness of the conjunctiva in the current study.