Visual outcomes after surgery for childhood cataracts

PURPOSE: To describe long-term objective and subjective visual outcomes in a group of Danish children after cataract surgery.

METHODS: Follow-up examination of 56 children aged 7-18 years who had undergone uni- or bilateral cataract surgery. Subjective visual function was assessed using the Cardiff Visual Ability Questionnaire for Children (CVAQC) and compared to objective visual acuity for distance and near, contrast vision and stereopsis.

RESULTS: Better visual acuity on the better seeing and contrast vision on worst seeing eye were significant predictors of increased subjective visual function in a multivariate analysis, p = 0.024. Children in the unilateral group had a significantly better CVAQC ratio compared to children in the bilateral group, median of 0.88 (range 0.50-1.00) versus 0.80 (range 0.55-0.98), p = 0.027. Reading small print, playing ball games and seeing friends in the playground were the most difficult CVAQC items in the unilateral group and reading small print, seeing the board in the classroom and seeing friends in the playground were the most difficult in the bilateral group.

CONCLUSION: Children with unilateral disease often have a healthy eye to support the operated eye, why they overall have better subjective visual function. Many of the most difficult visual tasks were related to academic activities which might hamper future academical capabilities.