Answer:
Pediatric cataract surgery focuses on the gentle removal of the lens while considering eye development, potentially requiring post-surgery vision therapy. Adult cataract surgery mainly involves replacing the clouded lens with an artificial lens, with postoperative care focusing on the adaptation to the lens for distance vision. A spectacle lens of about 16 D may be prescribed after lens removal in both cases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary difference between pediatric and adult cataract surgery lies in the nature of the eyes at different ages. Children's eyes are still developing, so when cataracts are removed, the approach needs to be gentle and account for future growth and development. Pediatric cataract surgery often requires a comprehensive management of not just the cataract but also the potential impact on vision development.
In contrast, adult cataract surgery typically involves the removal of the clouded lens and replacement with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Adults with cataracts usually have stable eye structures, making the surgery and postoperative management less complex in terms of vision development. However, the IOL's power must be correctly chosen to ensure optimal vision correction, and this is usually based on pre-surgery measurements as adult eyes generally do not change much.
Furthermore, when the eye lens is removed due to cataracts, a spectacle lens of about 16 diopters (D) is often prescribed to compensate for the loss of the eye's natural lens. After pediatric cataract surgery, children may need additional vision therapy or corrective eyewear to ensure proper vision development, whereas adults usually adapt to the IOL for distance vision and may only require reading glasses if they had presbyopia.