[The treatment of congenital cataract in Germany--results of a survey].

BACKGROUND

Among ophthalmologists congenital cataract appears to be treated very differently with regard to surgical technique and postoperative care. Most discussed items are the optimal time points for lensectomy and intraocular lens implantation, the surgical approach (via anterior chamber or pars plana), details of secondary cataract prophylaxis and the refractive adjustment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a written survey of 113 eye hospitals or private ophthalmic surgeons in Germany on details of the congenital cataract treatment in 2005.

RESULTS

We received feedback from 60 institutions (53 % response rate). The favoured approach for lensectomy was the anterior chamber (75 %). 95 % of institutions leave the capsular ring intact. The refraction of the postoperative contact lens was mainly chosen to be myopic (76 %). Intraocular lens implantation was performed mostly from an age of two years onwards (50 %) or between three and six years (37 %). Only one institution implanted from the sixth month of life. In order to compensate for the myopic shift 62 % chose a hyperopic lens refraction at implantation.

CONCLUSIONS

The treatment of congenital cataracts in Germany is performed rather heterogeneously. More clinical studies are required to answer the open questions.