[A comparative study of rigid gas permeable corneal contact lenses versus frame glasses for refractive correction of postoperative aphakic eyes after congenital cataract surgery in infants and children].

Objective: The aim of this paper is to compare the refractive correction effects of rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGPCL) and spectacle correction in children with aphakia after congenital cataract surgery. Methods: This was a prospective non-randomized controlled trial. Children with aphakic eyes after congenital cataract surgery, who underwent vision correction in the Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Clinic of Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University from April 2012 to November 2019, were continuously collected. Those who voluntarily chose to wear RGPCL for refractive correction were included in the experimental group. Patients with monocular disease were in trial group 1, and patients with binocular disease were in trial group 2. Patients who chose to wear frame glasses for refractive correction were included in the control group. Patients with monocular disease were in control group 1, and patients with binocular disease were in control group 2. Regional origin, medical history, and family information were collected at the first diagnosis. During the follow-up, adverse reactions occurring during the process of wearing glasses were recorded. The Teller acuity card was used for visual examination to obtain the best-corrected visual acuity and convert it into the logarithm of the minimum resolution angle. The degree of nystagmus was determined according to the amplitude and frequency of nystagmus. Treatment cost, treatment compliance, and the reasons for adopting or not adopting RGPCL were analyzed through a questionnaire completed by the parents of children with RGPCL. Results: A total of 203 children (344 eyes) who underwent congenital cataract surgery were included, including 124 males (210 eyes) and 79 females (134 eyes). The age range was 3 to 36 months. There were 28 cases in the experimental group, including 19 cases in trial group 1 and 9 cases in trial group 2. There were 175 cases in the control group, including 43 cases in control group 1 and 132 cases in control group 2. Except for 6 months of age, the visual acuity of the experimental group was better than that of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P <0.05). The visual acuity of children in trial group 1 was better than that of children in control group 1 at the same age. Among them, at 12 months of age [1.54 (1.27, 1.97), 1.84 (0.97, 2.12)], 18 months of age [1.27 (0.97, 1.84), 1.84 (0.97, 2.12)], 24 months of age [1.54 (1.27, 1.84), 1.84 (0.97, 2.12)], and 30 months old [0.97 (0.66, 1.27), 1.54 (0.66, 2.12)], the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.001). The visual acuity of children in trial group 2 was better than that in control group 2 at the same age. Among them, at 18 months old [1.27 (0.97, 1.54), 1.27 (0.66, 2.12)], 24 months old [0.97 (0.66, 1.27), 1.27 (0.66, 2.12)], and 30 months old [1.27 (0.66, 2.12)], the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05). The remission rate of nystagmus in the experimental group was 8/9 (8 cases), the remission rate of nystagmus in the control group was 34.40% (32 cases), and the exacerbation rate was 29.03% (27 cases). The average annual cost of the experimental group was 25 125 yuan, and that of the control group was 2 511 yuan. Conclusions: RGPCL is a well-tolerated, safe, and effective treatment for infants and young children. The visual acuity and degree of nystagmus were significantly improved in children who wore RGPCL for aphakia refractive correction after congenital cataract surgery compared with spectacle correction.