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Progressive high myopia / Scleroplasty

The development of high myopia is mostly due to “uncontrolled“ enlargement of the globe axial length. Normally, in young patients, the shape and curvature of the crystalline lens compensate for this enlargement of the globe. This process is called emmetropization.

Sometimes, this is not enough, and the globe enlargement overtakes the emmetropization range and results in certain values of myopia. The globe wall tissue becomes thin, and the view of the posterior segment, the retina image has a special “myopic” presentation, tiny and vulnerable, with the risk of retinal detachment.

To stop the progression of the axial length growing, and decrease further myopia development, preserve the globe wall tissue from further thinning, and make the risk of retinal detachment lower, scleroplasty is recommended as a surgical procedure.

This procedure has been performed for years.

It is done in general anesthesia, now with the special biocompatible implants, very much used in many other fields of medicine (cardiovascular implants, etc.). There is no need for rest in hospital and the child goes home the very same day, a few hours after surgery.

A control visit is made about three weeks after surgery with further follow ups, thereafter.

High myopia development could be expected in various or unknown etiologies, genetics, in pseudophakic eye after cataract surgery, due to loosing the compensatory emmetropization process of the crystalline lens, which is very well known and encountered in a lens implant calculation, having in mind the age of the child, in Down syndrome, in the regressed stage of retinopathy of prematurity.