Effect of cataract surgery on ocular axial length elongation in young children.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of cataract surgery on eyes of children between 1-5 years old.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Forty-seven cases of pediatric cataract, including 31 cases of bilateral congenital cataract and 16 cases of unilateral posttraumatic cataract, were retrospected. Of the 31 cases of congenital cataract, 19 cases (group 1) had undergone cataract extraction with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, 12 (group 2) had undergone cataract extraction without IOL implantation. Each of them had their two eyes operated separately at an interval of 1 year or longer. Of the 16 cases of posttraumatic cataract, 6 (group 3) had undergone cataract extraction with IOL implantation and 10 (group 4) had undergone cataract extraction without IOL implantation. Mean age at the time of interested surgery was 2.9 years (range from 1.1 to 5.1 years). Ocular axial length of both eyes measured by A-scan ultrasonography before and after the surgery of the earlier operated eye in the congenital groups and the operated eye in the post-traumatic groups was recorded. The elongation of axial length of the earlier operated eye in the congenital groups and the operated eyes in the posttraumatic groups of each case were compared with that of the fellow eye statistically with paired t-test.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up was 2.6 years (ranged from 1.0 to 6.4 years). In all the 4 groups, the elongation of axial length between the earlier operated eye and later operated eye in the congenital groups and between the operated and unoperated eyes in the posttraumatic groups of each case was not significantly different (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Cataract surgery, either extraction with or without IOL implantation, did not retard axial elongation in children above 1 year old.