Epikeratophakia in children with traumatic cataracts.

Epikeratophakia provides a permanent optical correction for aphakia in children with congenital or traumatic cataracts; suturing the epikeratophakia graft onto the cornea eliminates the problems of contact lens or spectacle non-compliance in these young and generally uncooperative patients and provides tectonic support to scarred and irregular corneas. Eighteen children under the age of six years underwent epikeratophakia for the correction of aphakia after the removal of trauma-induced cataracts. Graft success rate was 88%; the average change in keratometry in the patients with successful grafts was 14.82 +/- 2.0 diopters. In the 13 patients eligible for visual acuity tabulation, preoperative acuities ranged from light perception to 20/200, and postoperative acuities ranged from hand motions to 20/30. Ten (77%) had acuities of 20/80 or better. Poor results in three patients with less than 20/200 acuities were likely the results of non-compliance with amblyopia therapy. Present work indicates that in cases of traumatic cataract, the epikeratophakia procedure facilitates amblyopia therapy and decreases the astigmatism in scarred and irregular corneas.