Pediatric Cataract Surgery

What is cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery is a procedure that removes your child’s cataract, which is a cloudy lens in their eye. Our surgeon replaces the lens with an artificial lens, which helps the eye focus. The surgery will help improve your child’s vision and their visual development. One of our pediatric ophthalmologists, eye doctors with specialized training in diagnosing and treating eye conditions in children, will perform the procedure.

What’s the difference between cataract surgery in children and adults?

While it’s common to hear about cataracts in adults, they also occur in children. There are a few important differences between cataract surgery in children and adults. Pediatric cataract surgery takes longer, generally 2 to 3 hours, and requires general anesthesia. It’s an outpatient procedure, meaning you’ll be able to take your child home afterwards and will likely not need to stay in the hospital overnight.

What to expect during pediatric cataract surgery

First, your child’s eye team will do a detailed assessment of their eye under anesthesia, known as an examination under anesthesia (EUA). We may also take measurements under anesthesia to help us decide what type of artificial lens to use.

Your child’s surgeon will make a small cut in the clear part of the eye (cornea) and carefully remove the cloudy lens. The surgeon will then insert a clear, artificial lens where the cataract previously was. In certain cases, we’ll take an extra step and make a small opening behind the lens to help prevent any scarring or need for future procedures. The surgeon then uses a small suture, or stitch, to close the cut that was created. These stitches dissolve on their own and do not need to be removed later.

What to expect from cataract surgery recovery

After cataract surgery, we’ll place a shield and patch over the eye to protect it while it heals. It’s normal to have some discomfort, blurriness and light sensitivity right after surgery. If your child is attending school, they will likely want to take a couple days off to recover. Your child will need to restrict their activities for about 1 to 2 weeks after cataract surgery to ensure normal healing and to minimize infection risk. These restrictions include avoiding pools, hot tubs and sports.

We normally schedule three different appointments after surgery to see how your child is recovering: one day after surgery, one week after and one month after. Your child will need to take eyedrops for a month after surgery to prevent infection and inflammation in the eye, which we’ll discuss during your visit. Normally, we prescribe eyeglasses one month after surgery. Most children require glasses after surgery to help them focus on things up close.

Cataract surgery with a skilled surgeon is generally very safe. However, like any surgery, there are risks. These include infection, inflammation, glaucoma (increased eye pressure), issues with the retina and needing future eye procedures. These are all complications that your surgeon is aware of and will be monitoring closely after surgery.

Why choose us for cataract surgery?

Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. There are no lasers or eyedrops that can dissolve a cataract. So you need the best surgeons possible and one that specializes in this kind of surgery for children. Cataracts are rare in children and require very different surgery than cataracts in adults. As a referral center for pediatric cataract surgery for the region, we perform more cataract surgery than any other center in Rocky Mountain region. All our ophthalmologists are specially trained in pediatric ophthalmology and have the experience and skills to remove cataracts in children effectively and safely.

We know eye surgery can be stressful for kids and parents, so we have a full team of doctors, nurses, child life specialists and other experts to explain every step and create a kid-friendly environment. We also work with a pediatric anesthesia team, ensuring the safest environment for your child. Our entire team at Children’s Colorado is committed to making sure your child receives the best eye care specifically designed for kids.