AIM: To study the correlation between the selection of surgical methods for children with basic exotropia and the incidence of lateral incomitance and correction effect.

METHODS: Retrospective study. Clinical data of 180 children with basic exotropia who received treatment in the ophthalmology department of our hospital from June 2018 to December 2020 were selected. The patients were divided into 104 cases in monocular recess-resection group(R & R group)and 76 cases in binocular lateral rectus recession group(BLR-rec group)according to the surgical method. The general information, correction effect, the degree of surgical strabismus and the lateral incomitance were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: There were no differences in the degree of near and far strabismus between 2 groups at 3d, 1 and 6mo after surgery(all P>0.05). The correction rate of the R& R group at different time after surgery was higher than that of the BLR-rec group(P<0.05). R & R group had lower risk of lateral incomitance than that of BLR-rec group(OR=0.524, Wald χ²=4.260, P=0.039). After 6mo of operation, the patients in two groups mainly showed eye abduction fixation in the horizontal rectus muscle operation, but there was no difference in the incidence of near and distant lateral incomitance between the two groups(all P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: R & R is better than BLR-rec in correcting children's basic exotropia, and it can reduce the incidence of lateral incomitance.