Can you tell me the minimum corneal diameter required for IOL implantation?
SEP 01, 2016
Question:
My child had cataract from birth. Can you tell me the minimum corneal diameter required for IOL implantation?
Answer:
The decision to implant an IOL (artificial lens to replace they eye’s cloudy lens, or cataract) in an infant with a cataract is complicated. While implantation may be done in normal eyes, placement of an IOL in small eyes is risky because of the risk for glaucoma as well as damage to the cornea. I do not think there is a single corneal diameter to use as a cut-off point for all patients, but typically corneas larger than 9.5 mm in early childhood would seem reasonable candidates for implantation. The use of IOLs during the first year of life, while done infrequently, has increased risks documented by results from the Infant Aphakia Study.