Clinical Results after Surgical Treatment in Congenital Cataract

ABSTRACT

There are many unknown factors in the surgical treatment of congenital cataract such as time of surgery, surgical problems, and aphakic visual correction. Recently, the advancement of microsurgical technique and visual rehabilitation have reduced the rate of postoperative complications and visual losses. We have studied 81 eyes of 55 patients who had recieved cataract surgery from January 1994 to January 1998 at the department of ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine. These eyes have been categorized by age into three groups : Group l (0~1 year), Group ll (2~5 years), and Group lll(6~10 years). Cataract extraction was done in all eyes and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation was performed in groups ll and lllfor aphakic visual correction and the followings were investigated : preoperative vision; surgical method; postoperative vision; refractive error;and complications. Improvements in surgical procedures such as lens aspiration, posterior continuous circular capsulorhexis, anterior vitrectomy, intraocular lens implantation, and intraocular lens capture (Group ll) have brought better visual outcomes in groups II and III as well as decreased incidence of after-cataract. Thus, intraocular lens implantation in congenital cataract of 1year and older should actively be considered.