[Binocular vision after cataract surgery in children--long-term results]

To evaluate quality of binocular vision in dependence on type of cataract, time of surgery and type of aphakic correction with minimal 5 years follow up.

127 children divided into 3 groups: Group A--24 children with monolateral congenital cataract, Group B--56 children with bilateral congenital cataract, Group C--47 children with traumatic cataract. Binocular vision results were evaluated 5-10 years after cataract surgery subordinated on the type of aphakic correction-PC IOL, contact lenses, spectacles, type of cataract (congenital mono or bilateral, traumatic) and time of cataract surgery.

Group A: Binocular vision in 56% children with cataract surgery in the first 3 months of age and only 20% of binocular vision in children operated later. Binocular vision results in dependence on aphakic correction (46% in contact lens subgroup, 44% in PCIOL subgroup without statistically significant differences. Group B: Binocular vision in 76% of children operated in the first 3 months of age, and 79% of children operated later. Binocular vision in 68% of children in spectacle aphakic correction subgroup, 67% of children in contact lenses subgroup, and 75% of children in primary or secondary implanted PC IOL subgroup. Group C: Binocular vision in 80% of children with contact lenses subgroup, and in 84% of children with implantation PC IOL.

Better results of binocular vision quality have children with cataract extraction in the first three months of age then children operated later in group with monolateral congenital cataract. Primary or secondary implantation of PC IOL was find to the better aphakic correction for the binocular visual results in the groups with bilateral congenital cataract and traumatic cataract than other types of aphakic correction. Amblyopia is a major determinate of visual outcome in childhood cataract. The timing of surgery--the early cataract removal will continue to be more important than the method of aphakic optical correction, especially in the case of monolateral congenital cataract.