The first results of the contact lens correction of aphakia in young infants

: Soft contact lenses (SCL) were used for the correction of aphakia in young children. Eleven surgeries were carried out in 7 children with congenital cataracts (aspiration in 2 cases and transciliary lensectomy in the rest). SCLs were made individually of gel with 70% water content by mechanical treatment, their parameters differing from the commercial 'aphakic' lenses. These SCL parameters were chosen with consideration for the data of measurements of the corneal curvature and diameter, carried out during surgery and then specified by trials. To determine the optic force of SCL, a special formula and skiascopy were used. Only in one case the parents refused from SCL application, being satisfied with the cosmetic effect of surgery; in the rest cases SCLs were tolerated satisfactorily as evidenced by a follow-up of 3 to 8 months. SCL wearing improved the visual function, that manifested in a more stable fixation, reduction and stabilization of strabismus angle, development of an ability to recognise closely situated small articles. These results are in fact tentative; further studies will be aimed at a more accurate assessment of the visual function and of the corneal status (including the status of the endothelium).