The Effect of Inferior Oblique Recession Surgery on Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Pediatric Patients in a Single Center

English (OpenAlex)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of inferior oblique recession (IOR) on retinal and choroidal thickness in pediatric patients. Methods: This retrospective study included 20 eyes that underwent IOR (operated group) and 10 contralateral eyes of patients who underwent unilateral IOR (control group). Using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography, choroidal thicknesses were measured at seven points at 500 μm intervals relative to the fovea: center of the fovea (S), 500 μm nasal (N1), 1000 μm nasal (N2), 1500 μm nasal (N3), 500 μm temporal (T1), 1000 μm temporal (T2), and 1500 µm temporal (T3). Retinal thicknesses were measured at foveal, parafoveal, and perifoveal points. Preoperative and postoperative (first day, first month, and third month) retinal and choroidal thicknesses were compared. Results: Thirty eyes of 15 patients were studied. In the operated group, choroidal thicknesses at S, T1, T2, T3, N1, and N3 increased on the first postoperative day compared to preoperative values, showing a statistically significant difference ( P < 0.05 for all). No statistically significant difference was detected between the preoperative, first postoperative month, and third postoperative month choroidal thickness of the operated group. There was no statistically significant difference in retinal thickness of the operated group postoperatively. No statistically significant change was detected in retinal and choroidal thickness of the control group. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated a transient increase in choroidal thickness of children on the first day after IOR, while no significant change was observed in retinal thickness postoperatively. Its etiology and association with surgical trauma need to be determined, considering the anatomical proximity of the inferior oblique muscle to the macula.