Using the IRIS Registry, investigators describes the rates of strabismus, strabismus surgery, and strabismus reoperations among all age groups in the United States.

Study design

Investigators examined 1-year reoperation rate for strabismus surgery performed during 2013 and 2015.

Outcomes

Of 30,827,185 unique patients identified, 846,477 (2.75%) had a diagnosis of strabismus.

Approximately 1 in 20 patients with strabismus underwent surgery. Esotropia was the most common indication for surgery (30%), followed by exotropia (22%). Adjustable sutures were used in approximately 7% cases. The reoperation rate of was 6.7% over 1 year, and increased with age.

Limitations

Similar to other EHR analyses, this IRIS Registry study was limited by possible miscoding. The rates of strabismus cannot be extrapolated to the population-based prevalence of strabismus.

Clinical significance

This study describes practice patterns in the United States with respect to strabismus and strabismus surgery. The reoperation rate reported here could be used as a quality outcome benchmark for practitioners, although the percentage may not be a good representation of all ophthalmology practices.