Implantation in children.

With the development of posterior chamber lenses and continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis, and with the availability of viscoelastic agents, the use of intraocular lenses (IOLs) in children is becoming more popular. Since 1982, we have implanted posterior chamber IOLs (PC-IOLs) in the capsular bags of 61 cataractous eyes of 46 children and adolescents. The goal was in-the-bag placement facilitated by the use of a small capsulectomy, and, since 1984, by the use of the continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis. Forty-four cataracts were congenital, 13 were traumatic, and 4 were developmental. Cataract extraction with IOL implantation was performed in 16 (26%) preschool cases (ages 2 through 5), in 31 (51%) child cases (ages 6 through 12), and 14 (23%) adolescent cases (ages 13 through 18). Surgical and postoperative complications were minimal. Visual results were good. Fifty-six percent of preschoolers, 87% of children, and 86% of adolescents achieved 20/40 or better best corrected vision, with 79% of the total cohort achieving 20/40 or better. Overall, 35% achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better. All but two cases had improvement in best corrected vision; if 20/20 was not attained, the cause was mainly due to deprivation amblyopia. Forty-eight percent of patients were within a diopter of emmetropia.