AIM: To evaluate changes in quality-of-life of adults with concomitant exotropia before and after surgery.

METHODS:A retrospective cohort method was used in this research. Sixty-five patients with concomitant exotropia(ranged from 18-30 years)were enrolled. Quality of life was studied with 2 different questionnaires \〖the Adult Strabismus-20(AS-20)and the MOS 36-item Short-Form health survey(SF-36)\〗, which patients completed preoperatively and at 3mo postoperatively.

RESULTS:With the AS-20, 3mo after surgery, the mean psychosocial and visual function scores of AS-20 improved significantly(P<0.01). Similarly, with the SF-36, the mean score in 7 of 8 areas improved significantly(P<0.01), including physiological function, role limitations due to physiological health, general health, vitality, social function, role limitations due to emotional problems, mental health and the overall mean score. However, with respect to bodily pain, no significant improvement was found after surgery(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION:Surgical treatment of concomitant exotropia in adults gives a highly significant improvement in quality-of-life scores. We should pay more attention to the impact of strabismus on quality of life clinically to improve the outcome of the surgery.