Pattern of refractive correction and timing of stage II IOL implantation after congenital cataract extraction.

Abstract

Congenital cataract occurs during infancy when the axial length and corneal and visual function are in the sensitive stages of rapid development. Inappropriate surgical intervention not only fails to restore visual function, but also causes irreversible serious influences upon eyeball development in children diagnosed with congenital cataract. At present, the uncertainty of selection of intraocular lens (IOL) degrees during the eyeball development period is averted by using a main treatment of congenital cataract that includes two-stage surgery: stage I cataract extraction and stage II IOL implantation. However, the accurate selection of a refractive correction method and the timing of IOL implantation during stage II surgery for aphakic eyes remains controversial following stage I cataract extraction. This review retrospectively summarizes the current progress and existing problems indicated by related recent studies focusing on refractive correction pattern and IOL implantation timing.