Keratometry in eyes with bilateral pediatric cataract at tertiary eye care center in Nepal: a preliminary report.

Pre-operative keratometry measurement of the subjects was done in 80 children with bilateral congenital cataract below 15 years who had undergone pediatric cataract surgery. The objective of the study was to evaluate the average keratometry reading in Nepalese children with bilateral cataract. The keratometry reading was taken under general anesthesia with the Nidek Auto Keratometer, model KM-500. The mean age was 69.7 months (SD = 52.6), range from one month to 168 months. The mean keratometry reading was 44.8 (SD = 2.7) in operated eyes and 44.7 (SD = 2.6) in fellow eyes. The minimum and the maximum values of keratometry reading in operated eyes were 39.4 and 51.5 respectively where as it was 40.3 and 51.5 in fellow eyes. We concluded that in bilateral pediatric cataract the keratometry value is similar in both operated and fellow eyes. Based on the keratometry value of the operated eye, the patients with bilateral congenital cataract can undergo surgery in those eye hospitals where facilities of the keratometry is not available under general anesthesia. We also recommended that additional study on axial length will be needed to calculate the Intra Ocular Lens power in fellow eye.