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Congenital catatact

Congenital cataracts cause visual deprivation that may result in severe amblyopia.

Early detection of a cataract involving the central visual axis in the child’s eye may save the vision. This disturbance has a great potential for amblyopia development, especially if present in one eye, and in the critical age for visual development, unless operated in time. Changing refraction with amblyopia treatment is a great challenge to visual rehabilitation, after pediatric cataract surgery. Nowadays, with better understanding of the pediatric eye growth and very suitable intraocular lens implants available for the child’s eye, special custom calculation for IOL and refined pediatric surgical treatments have become an established model for cataract treatment in children.

Visual rehabilitation is much better in pseudophakic IOL implantation, than aphacic convencional correction (glasses or contact lenses).

If the cataract is not dense and the visual axis is free, the risk of severe amblyopia is lower, and the operation could be planned for later.

Multifocal implants are considered from the age of 6 onwards, if satisfactory visual acuity is preserved, with the aim to “restore” the loss of accommodation, meaning compensation for near, distance and intermediate vision.

This will only give a chance to visual development, but strong amblyopia treatment is suggested after surgery for full visual rehabilitation.