Characterization of congenital cataract and postoperative visual outcome in a Pediatric Ophthalmology Unit in a middle-income country

The functional visual outcome after cataract surgery is influenced by several factors such as the age at diagnosis and surgical treatment, as well as visual rehabilitation.OBJECTIVEto characterize con genital cataract patients and assess the postoperative visual outcome in an ophthalmological care center in Guatemala.PATIENTS AND METHODA cross-sectional retrospective study. Clinical records of all congenital cataract patients who underwent congenital cataract surgery from 2014 and 2015 were reviewed. The following was recorded: postoperative visual acuity, age at diagnosis and surgery, sex, unilateral or bilateral involvement, etiology and morphology of the cataract, preoperative poor visual prognosis factors, and postoperative follow-up.RESULTSFifty-nine patients underwent pediatric ca taract surgery in this period, ages ranging from 1 month to 13 years (median 48 months), and 23 were congenital (38.98%). Fourteen were male, 16 bilateral, and the mean age at diagnosis and surgery was 7 and 12 months, respectively. Only 13 patients completed 3 years of follow-up visits. Visual acuity was recorded at 3 years after surgery, observing in 11 patients and 8 patients visual impairment or worse, respectively. Delayed consultations occurred in 82.6% of the patients (older than 3 months of age).CONCLUSIONIn this series, the diagnosis of congenital cataract and its surgical treatment were delayed, observing a high rate of patients unable to complete follow-up visits. The visual outcome at 3 years after congenital cataract surgery was mostly visual impairment or worse.