Treatment for amblyopia after surgery for cataract and vitreoretina in pediatric ocular trauma.

Purpose: We investigated the value of occlusion therapy assisted by wearing spectacles or implanting an intraocular lens following surgeries for cataract and vitreoretina in pediatric pa-tients.

Methods: Fifty-one children with ocular trauma, aged from 3 to 12 years, were enrolled in this study, including 39 cases of open global injuries and 12 ocular blunt injuries. The patients underwent a series of surgeries, including suture of the cornea or sclera wound, cataract extraction, vitrectomy, and repair of retinal detachment in some cases. Occlusion therapy was prescribed for 29 eyes wearing spectacles and 22 eyes with implanted intraocular lenses (IOLs) for 6 to 12 months. All the children were followed up for 12 to 60 months (mean 41.5 months) after the final operations.

Results: Best corrected visual acuity was improved in 32 eyes (62.7%) and not improved in 19 eyes (37.3%), including 6 eyes with a leucoma involving the central cornea, 5 eyes with a retina scar involving the macula, and 2 eyes with unsatisfactory overall patching time. Occlusion therapy assisted by wearing spectacles (65.5%) and implanting IOLs (59.1%) showed similar improvements in the visual acuity of the injured eyes.

Conclusion: Occlusion therapy, combined with wearing spectacles and implanting IOLs, is valuable in treating deprivation amblyopia due to ocular trauma and series surgeries in pediatric patients. Spectacles may be dependable during occlusion therapy in the early post-surgery stage.