Pediatric cataract surgery outcomes in Kano, Nigeria

Objective: To report the outcomes of pediatric cataract surgery over a 7-year period in a mission hospital in northern Nigeria. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively examined the notes of 230 consecutive children aged 16 years and younger, who underwent bilateral cataract surgery by a single surgeon. The patients’ demographic, preoperative, and postoperative clinical details were analyzed. Details regarding the eye with the better postop vision were used in the analysis. Results: A total of 230 patients were included, of which 148 (64.4%) were boys. Age at presentation ranged from 1 month to 16 years, with a mean of 4.89 years and standard deviation of 4.21 years. Median delay for presentation was 12 months, with an interquartile range of 4–36 months. Visual acuity at presentation in the selected operative eye was normal in 2 (0.91%) patients and blind in 179 (81.4%) patients. Best-corrected postop vision was normal in 63 (31.5%) patients, visually impaired in 62 (31.0%) patients, severely visually impaired in 23 (11.5%) patients, blind in 52 (26.0%) patients, and not recorded in 30 (13.0%) patients. A total of 114 (49.8%) patients were prescribed glasses. Median follow-up was 1 month (interquartile range 0.5–3 months). Conclusion: Although a majority of the children were blind in the operative eye prior to surgery, over a quarter achieved normal vision after surgery. Factors that may improve outcomes in this setting include prescribing glasses to all and facilitating increased follow-up.