The distribution characteristics of strabismus surgery types in a tertiary hospital in the Central Plains region during the COVID-19 epidemic

This study aimed to analyze the distribution of different types of strabismus surgery in a tertiary hospital in Central China during the three-year period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of strabismus patients who underwent surgery and were admitted to the Department of Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2020 and December 2022.

A total of 3939 strabismus surgery patients were collected, including 1357 in 2020, 1451 in 2021, and 1131 in 2022. The number of surgeries decreased significantly in February 2020, August 2021, and November and December 2022. Patients aged 0–6 years accounted for 37% of the total number of strabismus surgery patientsr. The majority (60%) of all strabismus surgery patients were diagnosed with exotropia, with intermittent exotropia accounting for the highest proportion (53%). There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of intermittent exotropia and constant exotropia during the three-year period (χ² = 2.642, P = 0.267 and χ² = 3.012, P = 0.221, respectively). Among patients with intermittent exotropia, insufficient convergence type was the most common form of strabismus (accounting for over 70%). Non-accommodative esotropia accounted for more than 50% of all internal strabismus cases.

During the period from 2020 to 2022, the total number of strabismus surgeries in our hospital did not show significant fluctuations, but there was a noticeable decrease in the number of surgeries during months affected by the pandemic. Exotropia accounted for the highest proportion among strabismus surgery patients. Intermittent exotropia was the most common type among patients undergoing surgery for exotropia, and the most prevalent subtype was the insufficient convergence type. The age distribution of patients varied in different months, with a concentration of surgeries for strabismus patients in the 7–12 years old age group during the months of July and August each year.