Axial eye length growth and final refractive outcome after unilateral paediatric cataract surgery

AIM: To compare the axial eye length growth of the two fellow eyes within one patient after unilateral paediatric cataract surgery and to asses changes in refraction and keratometry. Patients/ METHODS: A retrospective study in 90 eyes of 45 patients was performed. The 45 patients were divided into group 1 (patients younger than 18 months at the time of surgery, n=25) and group 2 (patients 18 months or older at the time of surgery, n=20). The axial eye length, spherical equivalent refraction and keratometry were measured during surgery and at follow up. All outcome data in the operated eyes were compared with the outcome data of the fellow non- operated eyes. The students t-test was used for statistical analysis. Values of p< 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In group 1 the absolute growth in mm of the operated eyes was borderline statistically significant less than the fellow non- operated eyes (p=0.049). No statistically significant difference in the rate of axial growth between the two eyes was found (p=0.25). A larger myopic shift (p=3.85E-5) and a larger change in keratometry (p=0.02) was found in the operated eyes. In group 2 no statistically significant differences were found between the two eyes. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a statistically significant difference in axial length growth between the operated eyes and fellow non-operated eyes in our unilateral paediatric cataract patients