Amblyopia Treatment Outcomes

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness and side effects of full-time occlusion for the treatment of amblyopia. Methods: Patients with unilateral amblyopia secondary to strabismus, anisometropia, or a combination of the two were retrospective reviewed. All patients had full-time occlusion encompassing 24 hours per day or all waking hours, followed to a defined endpoint. Success was defined as 20/30 or better or equal visual acuity by fixation pattern between the two eyes. The ultimate goal was equal visual acuity. Results: Six hundred patients fit the inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up after the cessation of full-time patching was 7.2 years. Eighty-nine percent were followed for more than 1 year. Mean age at last follow-up visit was 10.82 years. Ninety-six percent of patients attained a successful visual result. Sixty percent attained equal visual acuity. Younger patients required less occlusion time to endpoint and had a better visual outcome (P < 0.0001). Initial visual acuity was significantly related to best visual acuity attained (P < 0.0001). The incidence of occlusion amblyopia was 25.8%. Conclusions: Full-time occlusion produces excellent visual acuity results. It was shown to be effective with no long-term complications if patients proceed as directed.