AIM: To evaluate the diopter errors and safety of secondary intraocular lens(IOL)implantation in the ciliary sulcus using a modified incision procedure in children with bilateral aphakia.

METHODS: The data of 12 children(24 eyes)with bilateral aphakia who had undergone secondary foldable IOL implantation in the ciliary sulcus using a modified incision procedure from 2020 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Incision-related complications were analyzed intraoperatively and at 1 d and 1 mo postoperatively. Best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), axial length(AL), white-to-white(WTW), and refractive outcomes in terms of preoperative reserved diopters(PRD)and actual equivalent spherical diopters(AESD). The patients were divided into two groups by age(≤7 and >7 a), AL(<23 and ≥23 mm)and WTW(≤11.5 and >11.5mm), and the diopter errors between their AESD and PRD predicted based on the measurement results were compared.

RESULTS: The patients comprised 9(75%)boys and 3(25%)girls. Two(17%)patients had anterior subcapsular cataracts, 4(33%)had posterior polar cataracts, and 6(50%)had nuclear cataracts. The mean age at cataract extraction was 6.4±1.61(3.4-8.9)mo. The mean interval between cataract extraction and secondary IOL implantation was 6.8±1.82(4.4-11.5)a. The mean preoperative BCVA was 0.49±0.33(1.0-0.1)LogMAR. The mean postoperative BCVA was 0.38±0.32(1.0-0.0)LogMAR. The mean AL was 23.56±1.96(19.00-26.38)mm, and the mean WTW was 11.5±0.92(9.3-13.9)mm. The mean PRD was 1.57±0.60(0.73-2.77)D, the mean AESD was 0.57±0.55(-0.50 to 1.75)D, and the mean difference between the AESD and PRD was -0.99±0.52(-2.22 to 0.32)D. The differences in the AESD and PRD between the groups according to age, AL and WTW were not statistically significant(P=0.59, 0.56, and 0.53, respectively).

CONCLUSION: IOL implantation in the ciliary sulcus after a modified incision is safe and feasible for children with aphakia. It is necessary to subtract approximately 1 D of IOL power from the formula-selected power when implanting an IOL in the ciliary sulcus. Age, AL, and WTW do not significantly affect the difference.