Study advises caution for IOL implantation in children 6 months and younger

This prospective, multicenter (12 sites) study randomized 114 infants with unilateral congenital cataract to undergo surgery with or without primary IOL implantation. Patients were between 1 and 6 months old. At age 1, visual acuity was similar between the groups (contact lens group, 0.80; IOL group, 0.97; P = 0.19), but the IOL group was five times more likely to undergo additional surgery, mainly to clear visual axis opacities, and five times more likely to experience iris prolapse during surgery. Until longer-term follow-up data are available, the authrs urge caution when implanting IOLs in young children.