Microphthalmic pediatric eyes can successfully undergo cataract surgery

CHICAGO — Pediatric eyes with microphthalmos and cataract can undergo successful cataract surgery, a surgeon said here at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

"Though these eyes present challenges in management, performing surgery can offer good visual rehabilitation," Praveen R. Mamidipudi, MS, said.

Dr. Mamidipudi and colleagues evaluated outcomes for 42 eyes of 21 patients younger than 1 year of age that underwent bilateral congenital cataract surgery. The patients had a mean age of 3 months and were followed for an average of 24 months.

"We could achieve complete lens removal in all eyes, and there was no significant uveal trauma or intraocular hemorrhage in any of the eyes," Dr. Mamidipudi said.

At final follow-up, 71.4% of the patients had improved visual acuity, 23.8% had stable visual acuity, and no patients lost vision.

"We did notice an extension of the anterior and posterior capsulorrhexis in 10% and 6% of eyes, respectively," Dr. Mamidipudi said.

Additionally, the most common complications were postoperative aphakic glaucoma, posterior synechiae and visual axis obscuration.

"Ours is the first prospective trial of its kind to report outcomes of bilateral congenital cataract surgery in microphthalmic eyes less than 1 year of age," Dr. Mamidipudi said.