Aishwarya Kothapalli ('19) presented her poster titled: the Long Term Outcomes of Patients with Anomalous Head Position due to Nystagmus and Strabismus treated with a Modified Anderson-Kestenbaum Procedure at the 9th Annual Fall Undergraduate Research Festival at the University of Iowa.
Her poster abstract:
Nystagmus is a condition involving repetitive and uncontrolled movements of the eye. Some patients develop anomalous head position (AHP) to improve their vision. Some of them have concomitant strabismus. This study is evaluating long-term outcomes of patients surgically treated with a modified Anderson-Kestenbaum (AKP) procedure for AHP due to nystagmus and strabismus. The purpose was identifying variables that may lead to optimal postoperative results. Retrospective chart review of patients surgically treated with extra-ocular muscle surgery. An optimal outcome was defined as complete correction of the AHP or AHP of 10 degrees or less at last follow up and no strabismus. 49 patients met inclusion criteria. 55.10% patients achieved an optimal outcome, while 71.43% patients displayed some improvement in their anomalous head position. Only 34.69% patients had no AHP postoperatively. 24.49% of patients had no strabismus postoperatively.
No single variable was identified to be correlated with optimal outcome. Though the number of patients in this study was small, it shows that although general improvement after surgery is common, the likelihood that an optimal outcome will be achieved cannot be guaranteed. It is also likely that some degree of an AHP and/or strabismus will be present following surgery.
Congrats on a job well done, Aishwarya!