Surgical management of childhood intermittent exotropia

Intermittent exotropia is a common form of strabismus presenting in childhood. While nonsurgical management is appropriate in many cases, surgical correction is a mainstay of therapy. Specific procedures may be based on classification of the exotropia or surgeon preference. While by most estimates more than half of patients are corrected with one procedure, the need for additional surgery is not uncommon. Careful patient selection, parental input and education, and appropriate pre operative management can result in both cosmetic and functional improvement and a high rate of satisfaction.