AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effect of rectus recession combined with the rear suspension scleral fixation for patients with restrictive strabismus caused by thyroid associated ophthalmopathy(TAO).

METHODS: The clinical data of 48 patients(71 eyes)with severe TAO were retrospective analyzed from January 2013 to January 2015.The patients with severe TAO were divided into the exophthalmos(EM)group with 25 patients(35 eyes), compressive optic neuropathy(CON)group with 12 patients(20 eyes)and exposure keratopathy(EK)group with 11 patients(16 eyes).The rectus recession combined with rear suspension scleral fixation treatment was performed in all patients. The visual acuity, clinical activity score(CAS), and diplopia situation of each group were recorded and compared preoperatively and at 6mo postoperatively.

RESULTS: The postoperative best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)of the three groups were significantly higher than those before operation(P<0.01). The postoperative exophthalmos of CON group, MP group and EK group were significantly more improved than those before operation(P<0.01). The eyeballs of patients in CON group retracted significantly more than the other two groups(P<0.01). The CAS was significantly lower after operations than that before operations(P<0.01). The diplopia in patients in CON group decreased more than the other two groups(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Rectus recession combined with the rear suspension scleral fixation can help improve the restrictive strabismus caused by TAO, visual acuity, eyeballs to roll back, eliminate the diplopia and to improve the life quality of patients.