Silicone Band in the Surgical Treatment of Manifest Exotropia

Purpose: A silicone band was sutured anteriorly to the edge of the lateral rectus muscle neotendon during recession surgery in order to reduce and delay the reoccurrence after exotropia surgery. Methods: Collected data of 12 patients (8 males and 4 females), aged 7 54 years with diagnosis of constant manifest exotropia and mean angle deviation in primary position of 15,04 ̊ (sd 1,18) for near and of 13,23 ̊ (sd 0,71) for distance. All patients underwent surgical treatment consisting of lateral rectus recession and silicone band apposition in correspondence to the anterior edge of the lateral rectus muscle neotendon. Results: A substantial reduction of the mean angle deviation was observed in all patients after surgery. No adverse band-related effects were detected. Conclusion: The silicone band in the surgical treatment of manifest exotropia could be a valuable aid in delaying the relapse thanks to its physical and structural features and to its biocompatibility.