Conservatism in the Management of Congenital Cataract

Abstract

In our experience, the treatment of congenital cataract has not been satisfying. That this feeling is not unique with us is borne out in a number of excellent publications during the past several years. The authors of these almost uniformly point out the difficulties and complications in such treatment and urge conservatism. It is our purpose in this paper to outline a conservative approach to the management of congenital cataract and to document the suggested management by citing appropriate I. References to the Literature Some review of the literature is illuminating. Falls,¹ in reporting 233 eyes operated on, noted that only 35.5% obtained a vision of 6/12 or better, while 25.6% had a vision of 6/60 or less and at least 6.4% were blind. He noted that other ocular and systemic defects are often associated with congenital cataract, and such association makes the prognosis for successful treatment very guarded.