Variability of the eyeballs axial length in children with pseudophakia

Purpose
The aim of the study is to evaluate the dynamics of axial elongation of pseudophakic eyes and changes in refraction pseudophakic eyes in children after monocular or binocular cataract surgery.

Material and methods
the observations of 79 children (158 eyes) aged from 4 to 18 years (mean 9.7 ± 0.55) after cataract surgery were conducted. The examined group consisted of 105 pseudophakic eyes, the comparative group consisted of 53 eyes without surgery in the same observed group of children. Moreover, the patients were evaluated in the following group: moncular – binocular cataract, primary or secondary IOL implantation, the age in groups were between 4-7 and between 8-18 years.

Analysis statistically
STATGRAPHICS and SIMSTAT programs, p (α) = 0.05.

Results
: In the examined group (105 eyes) the mean follow-up time was 4.2 years (± 0.3), the average age of patients was 9.7 years (± 0.7). Improvement of visual acuity was achieved mean 0.5 in 52.4% post operative eyes observed, myopic shift was –0.7D (± 0.52). The anatomic eyeball length increased up to 0.5mm (± 0.27). The average age of patients of the control group was 9.7 years (± 0.83), follow-up 4.3 years (± 0.44), visual acuity 0.8 (± 0.03). Mean elongation of the axial length was 0.56 mm(± 0.26), mean refraction of the eyeball was +0.38 D (± 0.54). The difference of the changes of refraction between examined and control group was statistically significant. The comparison of final refraction in optical pathway (p=0.32) and the growth of anatomic eyeball length (p=0.14), proved no significant differences in the group with monocular and binocular IOL. The comparative analysis of final refraction in optical pathway (p1=0.36), and the growth of anatomic eyeball length (p2=0.26) in the group with primary or secondary IOL and in the younger or older children (p1=0.52; p=0.98) in the both groups, did not significantly differ.

Conclusions
The dynamics of axial elongation of pseudophakic and phakic eyes in children is similar. The myopic shift of pseufophakic eyes is bigger than in phakic eyes. It should be undertaken in calculation of the refractive power of intraocular lenses.