Preliminary visual results of pediatric epikeratophakia.

Although cataract surgery is feasible in children with unilateral cataracts, visual rehabilitation depends on optical correction and conscientiously maintained amblyopia therapy. Epikeratophakia for the correction of aphakia was performed in 47 children (50 grafts). Postoperative keratometry readings showed an average increase of 12.68 diopters in early patients. With new tissue-handling techniques, the last eight patients showed an average increase of +16.80 D, with -0.64-D overrefraction for emmetropia. Visual results indicate that epikeratophakia is an effective primary procedure for patients with unilateral traumatic cataracts and that it is superior to leaving vision uncorrected in children who have had unilateral congenital cataracts removed and are contact-lens intolerant. Further studies with younger patients will be necessary to define its role in neonates; however, individual results demonstrate that good vision is obtainable with epikeratophakia.