Outcomes of pediatric cataract surgery in anterior persistent fetal vasculature.

PURPOSE: To report the intraoperative performance and postoperative outcomes in eyes with anterior persistent fetal vasculature (PFV). SETTING: Iladevi Cataract & IOL Research Centre, India, and Filatov Institute Odessa, Ukraine. DESIGN: Prospective interventional case series. METHODS: Eyes with anterior PFV had surgery using a standardized surgical technique. Plaque peeling was used for small plaques and partial excision for larger plaques. In eyes in which the entire lens converted into a fibrovascular tissue, extensive capsulectomy with anterior 2-port limbal vitrectomy was performed. Microphthalmic eyes had no intraocular lens implantation. RESULTS: This study comprised 33 eyes. The mean age at surgery was 6.30 months ± 5.16 (SD). Microcornea was observed in 10 eyes (30.3%). Within the morphology of cataract, 10 eyes (30.3%) had the lens converted into fibrovascular mass, of which 4 had associated prominent ciliary process. Anterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) and manual posterior CCC were performed in 23 eyes (69.7%) and 3 eyes (9.1%), respectively. Intraoperatively, posterior capsule plaque was seen in 20 eyes (60.6%). In 31 eyes (93.9%), 2-port limbal anterior vitrectomy was performed and in 2 eyes (6.1%), pars plana vitrectomy was performed. Intraocular lens implantation was performed in 16 eyes (48.5%); 17 eyes (51.5%) were left aphakic. Visual axis obscuration was observed in 6 eyes (18.2%). At the 3-year follow-up, visual acuity remained stable in 11 eyes (33.3%) and improved in 22 eyes (66.6%). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that good visual outcomes can be obtained in PFV eyes after surgical intervention, with an acceptable rate of serious postoperative complications. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Combined surgical method of orbital and periorbital hemangioma treatment in infants.

PURPOSE: To analyze the results of application of combined surgical treatment in different forms of hemangioma in infants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred seventy-four children with different forms of orbital and periorbital hemangiomas aged 1-16 months (mean age 5.2 + 1.97 months) were operated on at the pediatric ophthalmology department. Fast growth of hemangioma, both superficial (intradermal) and deep (subdermal and orbital) localization, significant deformity of eyelids, with narrowing of eye fissure were the indications for surgical treatment. The combined-staged method, including cryosurgery of superficial intradermal lesions and surgical excision of subdermal and/or orbital parts of the tumor in different combinations depending on the form and depth of hemangioma spreading, was applied. RESULTS: Usage of cryodestruction usually on the first stage of treatment allowed gentle scarring of the angiomatously changed skin areas. Surgical excision of the deep part of the tumor eliminated disfigurement and visual axis occlusion, avoiding amblyopia development. Good cosmetic and anatomic result was achieved in 90.4% of cases. CONCLUSION: Combined surgical method of treatment of progressive capillary hemangiomas by using cryosurgery and surgical excision in infants allows the choice of optimum tactics depending on features of the course and clinical picture in each individual case and provides achievement of high cosmetic and functional result of treatment. The early beginning of treatment in cases of fast progressing of the tumor allows prevention of extensive skin affection and amblyopia development.

Implantation of single-piece foldable acrylic IOLs in small children in the Ukraine.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and outcome of implantation of a single-piece foldable acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) in children younger than 2 years in the Ukraine. METHODS: A total of 31 children from all over the Ukraine with a median age of 11 months (range 2-28 months) underwent cataract surgery with anterior and posterior capsulorhexis, implantation of a single-piece AcrySof SA30AL IOL and anterior dry vitrectomy. Of these, 22 patients attended the last follow-up. Ten patients had follow-up periods of 12 months; 12 had follow-up periods of 18 months. At the postoperative visits, we investigated visual acuity (VA), whether or not the subject had strabismus, lens epithelial cell migration and signs of secondary glaucoma. RESULTS: The single-piece IOL remained clinically centred in all eyes. No secondary glaucoma was detected. Eleven patients needed surgery for after-cataract. All but two patients achieved better VA after surgery. Many patients suffered from deprivation amblyopia as quite a few cataracts were probably congenital; however, the improvement in VA shows that cataract surgery was worth performing despite the late intervention. CONCLUSION: The foldable single-piece acrylic IOL seems to be well tolerated by children aged 0-2 years. No serious complications were seen and no patient developed secondary glaucoma within the follow-up time. However, lens epithelial cells are very lively in this age group.

Clinical and anatomical substantiation of levator resection in the complex surgical treatment of BPES.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and anatomical results of the complex one-stage surgical treatment of BPES by means of levator resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 51 children (73 eyes) aged 3-16 years with BPES were operated on by the newly developed one-stage technique at the Pediatric Ophthalmology Department of the Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy. The surgical technique included shortening of the internal canthal ligament, resection of the tarsus and levator muscle, and skin plasty. The new surgical technique is based on new data on the topography of the upper eyelid and anterior part of the orbit obtained by MRI-onward protrusion of the orbital septum with increased volume of the pre-aponeurotic fat pad; thickening of the suborbicularis fat layer; shortening and thickening of the mobile part of the upper eyelid; and slight expression and low position of the palpebral fold. RESULTS: Elimination of ptosis and epicanthus was achieved in all cases (eye fissure widening of up to 7-11 mm, average 8.8 +/- 1.04 mm, and lengthening of up to 21-30 mm, average 24.7 +/- 2.87 mm). Increased levator function to 3-10 mm (average 5.6 +/- 0.19 mm) was also achieved after surgery. Control MRI investigation confirmed the normalization of the topography of the eyelid and orbital structures. CONCLUSION: The newly developed surgical technique for BPES correction by means of levator resection permits one to obtain high cosmetic and functional results based on improvement of the topography of the upper eyelid and orbital structures.

After-cataract in children having cataract surgery with or without anterior vitrectomy implanted with a single-piece AcrySof IOL.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether cataract surgery in children should be performed with anterior vitrectomy and to examine the properties of the AcrySof SA30AL intraocular lens (IOL) in the pediatric eye. SETTING: Filatov Institute, Odessa, Ukraine. METHODS: Cataract surgery was performed in 66 children aged 3 to 15 years. They were randomized to surgery with or without anterior vitrectomy. All eyes were implanted with the single-piece AcrySof SA30AL IOL (Alcon). During the study, the patients who needed surgery for after-cataract had a second surgical procedure. Two years after surgery, the surgical method was evaluated using exact logistic regression. Also, the Evaluation of Posterior Capsule Opacification (EPCO) score was compared between the patients who had surgery for after-cataract and the patients who did not need this. The presence of posterior synechias and centration of the IOL were assessed. RESULTS: Children in the younger age group (