AIM: To investigate the changes of visual function and multifocal visual evoked potential in children with strabismus after intermittent exotropia operation.

METHODS: Totally 91 children with intermittent exotropia from January 2014 to December 2017 were enrolled in the study. All children were treated with surgery. The changes of visual function before and after operation were observed, and the level of multifocal visual evoked potential before and after operation were detected.

RESULTS: The total effective rate was 88% at one week after operation, 86% at 6mo after operation, the mean preoperative strabismus was-38.12^△, and the mean postoperative strabismus was-5.8^△. At 6mo after operation, the number of children with simultaneous vision, fusion and distant stereopsis decreased significantly as compared with that before operation(P<0.01). The orthopedic rate was 68% at 6mo after operation, and the majority of the patients with all or only one or two grade visual function before the operation were positive, which was significantly higher than that of the patients who lost it after operation(P<0.05). From before operation to 6mo after operation, the amplitude response density of the characteristic peak and the latency of the nasal and temporal retinas in the fourth and sixth rings of the children were significantly increased, while the latent period of the inferior retina was significantly decreased(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Intermittent exotropia operation can effectively improve the visual function of children and promote the recovery of eye position in children, and the level of multifocal visual evoked potential in children after operation is also improved to some extent. The clinical effect is outstanding, and it is worth popularizing and applying.