Management of cataracts and ectopia lentis in children: Practice patterns of pediatric ophthalmologists in India

Purpose: To analyze the current practice patterns of Indian pediatric ophthalmologists in the management of lens anomalies. This study was conducted in a tertiary eye care hospital and involved an online questionnaire survey for practicing pediatric ophthalmologists in India. Methods: A questionnaire was devised by the authors, which included the various options available for the management of lens anomalies in children. The questionnaire was sent to each of them using an online portal. Commercial software (Stata ver. 13.1; StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) was used for statistical analysis. Results: In unilateral cataracts in children aged < 6 months, 85.42% of surgeons did not prefer to insert an intraocular lens (IOL). In the age group of 6-12 months, almost half of them preferred to insert an IOL. In the age group of 12-24 months and >24 months, 92.63% and 88.54%, respectively, preferred to insert an IOL. In bilateral cataracts, in children aged < 6 months, 91.84% of surgeons did not prefer to insert an IOL, whereas in the age group of 6-12 months, 69.39% did not prefer to insert an IOL. In the age group of 12-24 months and >24 months, 80.61% and 90.82%, respectively, preferred to insert an IOL. Seventy-four percent of surgeons preferred to use a single-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOL. Conclusion: The management of lens anomalies by pediatric ophthalmologists in India varies with laterality and appears to be comparable to that followed worldwide.