Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To establish if there is a significant difference in the post operative mean spherical equivalent (MSE) and the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between primary or secondary intraocular lens implantation in paediatric developmental cataract surgery. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all paediatric developmental cataracts (n=55) between 1997 to 2002 aged between 1 to 10 years was performed , in a city teaching hospital. Six month postoperative BCVA in logMAR and refractive error as MSE was recorded. Frequency distribution of results was performed and appropriate statistical analysis was carried out. Unpaired 2-tailed student t test was used to test significance for MSE, and Mann-Whitney U test was used to test significance for logMAR BCVA. Results: 36 eyes received primary lens implantation with a mean logMAR BCVA of 0.469 (20/50 Snellen equivalent), 19 eyes received secondary IOL with a mean logMAR BCVA of 0.535 (20/60) (p=0.978). Average MSE was 0.035D for primary IOL, and -0.51D for secondary IOL (p=0.107) Conclusions: There is no significant difference in postoperative refractive error and BCVA for primary or secondary lens implantation in paediatric developmental cataract surgery. Children may benefit from secondary lens implantation as it allows further time for maturation of the eye to accommodate an intraocular lens.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: out • small incision cataract surgery