AIM: To investigate the recovery of binocular vision in patients with intermittent exotropia of different age.

METHODS: Totally 172 patients with intermittent exotropia who underwent strabismus correction in our department from January 2016 to January 2018 were selected, including 95 males and 77 females, aged from 3 to 32 years, with an average age of 11.4±1.5 years. All patients with intermittent exotropia were basic type. According to the age of operation, the patients were divided into two groups: the group of less than 9 years old(90 cases)and the group of more than 9 years old(82 cases).The preoperative, 1d, 7d, 1mo and 3mo after operation were observed. The function of binocular vision was examined by synoptophore and myopia was examined by Titmus.

RESULTS: A comparison of simultaneous vision: at the same time, the visual function, fusion function, fusion range, far stereo, near stereo recovery effect of patients ≤9 years group was better than that of patients >9 years group. The difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION:Suggested surgical treatment of intermittent exotropia before 9 years old. Early operation is conducive to better improvement of binocular vision after surgery.