Cataract extraction in eyes with congenital colobomata

Cataract surgery was performed in six eyes of four patients with typical colobomata of the iris, choroid, and retina. Contrary to previous reports of poor surgical results in these eyes, we saw no surgical or postoperative complications. Final visual acuity was excellent in four eyes. The other two had preexisting amblyopia. Most previous reports describe outmoded extracapsular techniques or contemporary intracapsular cataract extraction, all without an intraocular lens. Five of the six eyes in this study had modern cataract surgery--phacoemulsification with a posterior chamber lens placed in the capsular bag.