The Myopic Shift in Aphakic Eyes in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study After 10 Years of Follow-up

10-Year Outcomes of Pediatric Cataract Surgery with Foldable Intraocular Lens Implantation and Posterior Continuous Curvilinear Capsulorhexis

INTRODUCTION

We investigated the long-term outcomes of pediatric cataract surgeries performed with modern surgical techniques involving in-the-bag implantation of a foldable intraocular lens (IOL).

METHODS

Data were retrospectively collected from 42 eyes in 30 patients who underwent surgery at 6 years and younger (average 2.5 ± 2.3 years) and were followed up for an average of 12.2 ± 2.4 years (10-17 years). Surgical procedures included anterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC), lens removal, posterior CCC, anterior vitrectomy, and in-the-bag IOL implantation. There were 18 unilateral (2.7 ± 2.3 years) and 12 bilateral cases (2.3 ± 2.3 years), with no significant age difference between groups (p = 0.462).

RESULTS

The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the final visit was 0.453 ± 0.488 (logMAR), correlating significantly with the age at surgery (r = -0.307, p = 0.048). The unilateral group had a worse BCVA (0.658 ± 0.615) than the bilateral group (0.298 ± 0.294) (p < 0.001). On average, eyes showed a myopic shift of -6.0 ± 6.3D, which significantly correlated with surgical age (r = 0.402, p = 0.008). While the myopic shift was -8.2 ± 6.1 D in the unilateral group and -4.9 ± 6.4 D in the bilateral group, the net shift for unilateral cases (comparing pseudophakic and fellow eyes) was -4.8 D. Three eyes (7.1%) exhibited suspected glaucoma (increased intraocular pressure), but no glaucoma or other severe complications were noted. IOL exchange surgery was necessary in two eyes (4.8%) due to pronounced myopic drift and significant IOL decentration. Three eyes (7.1%) required surgery for significant visual axis opacification.

CONCLUSIONS

Contemporary surgical strategies appear to yield promising long-term outcomes in patients with infantile cataracts.

What we have learned from the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study: The 49th Annual Frank D. Costenbader Lecture

Unilateral congenital cataracts lead to deprivation amblyopia, which can be severe. Until the 1970s, they were believed to be always associated with poor visual outcomes. However, advances in our understanding of the plasticity of the infant brain and the development of better surgical techniques allowed good visual outcomes to be obtained in a few of these patients. The Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS) was conducted to provide empirical evidence regarding the best type of optical correction to be used following surgical extraction of the cataract. Specifically, infants were randomly assigned to either be left aphakic and to wear contact lenses or an intraocular lens (IOL) was implanted and the residual refractive error was corrected with spectacles. The study found that good visual acuity and stereopsis could be achieved in some patients in both treatment groups. Early cataract surgery, consistent optical correction and part-time patching of the fellow eye are important elements needed to achieve good visual outcomes. However, excess patching of the fellow eye may interfere with the development of stereopsis. More adverse events occurred after IOL implantation, particularly visual axis opacification, compared with the infants who were left aphakic. Glaucoma-related adverse events occurred in 40% of eyes after a 10-year follow-up and were not associated with IOL implantation. Further research is needed to increase the percentage of children with unilateral congenital cataracts who achieve good visual outcomes.

Long-term strabismus outcomes after unilateral infantile cataract surgery in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study

PURPOSE

To characterize long-term strabismus outcomes in children in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS).

METHODS

This study was a secondary data analysis of long-term ocular alignment characteristics of children aged 10.5 years who had previously been enrolled in a randomized clinical trial evaluating aphakic management after unilateral cataract surgery between 1 and 6 months of age.

RESULTS

In the IATS study, 96 of 109 children (88%) developed strabismus through age 10.5 years. Half of the 20 children who were orthophoric at distance through age 5 years maintained orthophoria at distance fixation at 10.5 years. Esotropia was the most common type of strabismus prior to age 5 years (56/109 [51%]), whereas exotropia (49/109 [45%]) was the most common type of strabismus at 10.5 years (esotropia, 21%; isolated hypertropia, 17%). Strabismus surgery had been performed on 52 children (48%), with 18 of these (35%) achieving microtropia <10^Δ. Strabismus was equally prevalent in children randomized to contact lens care compared with those randomized to primary intraocular lens implantation (45/54 [83%] vs 45/55 [82%]; P = 0.8). Median visual acuity in the study eye was 0.56 logMAR (20/72) for children with orthotropia or microtropia <10^Δ versus 1.30 logMAR (20/400) for strabismus ≥10^Δ (P = 0.0003).

CONCLUSIONS

Strabismus-in particular, exotropia-is common irrespective of aphakia management 10 years following infant monocular cataract surgery. The delayed emergence of exotropia with longer follow-up indicates a need for caution in managing early esotropia in these children. Children with better visual acuity at 10 years of age are more likely to have better ocular alignment.