Secondary Intraocular Lens Implantation (IOL) in Children- What, Why, When, and How?

PURPOSE: To provide a comprehensive review on secondary IOL implantation in children who have undergone primary surgery at an early age and are aphakic aiming at answering common dilemmas among pediatric ophthalmologists.

METHOD OF LITERATURE REVIEW: A systematic literature search was done using keywords like secondary intraocular implantation, congenital cataractand surgical aphakia. Various novel case reports, retrospective case studies and review articles covering different aspects of secondary IOL implantation were searched and reviewed using PubMed and Google scholar journal search engines.

RESULTS

This article highlights various aspects of secondary IOL implantation like the appropriate timing should be when the child is entering preschool, with the proper technique being in bag fixation is the most preferred method with least associated complications and the IOL type should be decided based on the fixation site.

CONCLUSION

Secondary IOL implantation can accomplish good and stable long-term outcomes in children. It is the most accepted mode of optical correction once the appropriate age is achieved.