BANGERTER FOILS IN THE POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT OF ESOTROPIA.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the application of Bangerter foils in the postoperative management of esotropia Methods: A retrospective study of 200 patients who underwent bimedial recessions for various forms of alternating/alternated esotropia in the period of 2000-2013. In the cases of residual postoperative angle, tendency of recurrence of strabismus and preferred fixation, Bangerter foil was fixed on the corrective glass of the dominant eye- either on the next day of surgery, or on the 10-th postoperative day and was in use for at least 6 months. Results: Bangerter foils were applied in 67(35,1%) under corrected patients with a mean residual angle for near 7,01±3,51Δ. Mean residual angle in patients without foils was 3,47±4,06Δ (p<0,001). Statistically significant factors in patients with filters were amblyopia treatment before surgery (p<0,001), anisometropia (p=0,003) and type of esotropia (accommodative vs. non accommodative (p<0,001). Within the group without filters there was a significant increase of the residual angle for near on the third (p<0,001) and sixth month (p=0,036), while within the group with foils angle was not significantly changed (p=0,325; p=0,058) with time. In the group with foils no cases with relapse of strabismus and amblyopia were recorded and even a decrease of the postoperative angle was clinically observed in some patients. Conclusion: To our experience Bangerter foils are a reliable tool in the postoperative management of undercorrected esotropia