AIM: To investigate the preoperative binocular visual function of intermittent exotropia and the rebuilding and recovery of the postoperative binocular visual function, and analyze the effect of binocular visual function on orthophoria after surgery.

METHODS: From January 2011 to January 2014, 47 basic intermittent exotropia patients caming for treatment were collected in the clinical data. The changes in their near stereopsis, binocular visual function, binocular fusion and distance stereopsis after operations were recorded in the form of data. The preoperative binocular vision and the postoperative rebuilding were analyzed and contrasted with each other. In addition, the effect on the postoperative maintaining of orthophoria due to the existence, recovery and rebuilding of binocular visual function were observed.

RESULTS: Intermittent exotropia patients got damage in different levels on their binocular visual functions, especially on distance stereopsis, which was the heaviest and earliest. After the operation, all functions were obviously recovered and reconstructed and the improvements were statistically significant compared against those before the operation(P<0.01). Patients having binocular visual function or part of it before the operation had a higher ratio of orthophoria compared against the patients who had lost binocular visual function before the operation and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01). The recovery and reconstruction of the postoperative binocular visual function played an important role in maintaining the orthophoria.

CONCLUSION: The intermittent exotropia cause damage to the stereopsis which happened the earliest. Obvious recovery and reconstruction of binocular visual function can be observed after the surgery. A relatively good preoperative binocular visual function may lead to the increase in the ratio of orthophoria or cure the intermittent exotropia. Performing an operation when distance stereopsis is damaged can increase the success rate for the surgery and reduce the recurrence rate.