One muscle strabismus surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To describe recent evidence from the literature regarding one muscle strabismus surgery for small- to moderate-angle horizontal deviations.

RECENT FINDINGS: The use of one muscle surgery for comitant strabismus had been controversial because of concerns that it may result in a significant number of undercorrections and/or produce ocular incomitance. Recent evidence in unilateral lateral rectus recession for exotropia, unilateral medial rectus recession for esotropia, and unilateral rectus resections for undercorrected or recurrent strabismus and convergence or divergence insufficiency suggests that unilateral rectus muscle surgery is a safe, effective and predictable procedure for small- to moderate-angle horizontal deviations. Future prospective, comparative studies with larger samples in unilateral rectus muscle surgery are still needed.

SUMMARY: Unilateral rectus muscle surgery is a safe, effective and predictable treatment for small- to moderate-angle horizontal deviations. This procedure limits surgery to one eye, leaves other muscles untouched for repeat surgery, and therefore, should be considered as a primary or alternative approach in the treatment of small- to moderate-angle strabismus.