Abstract

NARANJO FERNANDEZ, Rosa María; ESTEVEZ MIRANDA, Yaimir  and  MENDEZ SANCHEZ, Teresita de J. Intraocular lens implants for children as a solution to social problems caused by blindness from congenital cataract. Rev Cubana Oftalmol [online]. 2011, vol.24, n.2, pp. 383-398. ISSN 0864-2176.

It is estimated that around 1,5 million children with low vision or legally blind exist worldwide, with a prevalence of 1 to 4 per 10 000 children in the industrialized countries and of 5 to 15 in the developing countries. The prevalence rate of the infantile blindness in Latin America is 0,6 %, which represents 900 children per one million inhabitants who need medical assistance due to low vision. The prevalence of blindness due to congenital cataract ranges from 1 to 4 per 10 000 children in underdeveloped countries and 0,1 to 0,4 in industrialized countries. In Cuba, 2,1 million inhabitants are under 15 years of age and the congenital cataract is regarded as the second cause of infantile blindness. In the last 20 years, the surgical treatment of cataract in children has completely changed based on the remarkable improvement of the surgical techniques. In our country, the pediatric cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation began in 1990 after the inauguration of the Ocular Microsurgery Center in 1988. The importance of this pediatric cataract surgery with intraocular lens implants was shown as a solution to the social problems caused by the visual deficit of inadequately treated patients, since the application of modern technology improves the quality of life of children both at social and educational level, and allows fully re-inserting them into the society.

Keywords : Pediatric cataract; congenital cataract; blindness; technology; society.

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