Traditional methods of treatment of cataract seen at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Fourteen eyes in eleven patients treated by the traditional methods for cataract were evaluated. Three different methods of treatment were classified from the cases: intracapsular (the traditional couching), extracapsular, and zonulysis. The operations were carried out on the left eye in 64%, bilateral in 27%, and right in 9%. Complications noted were uveitis, glaucoma, lens in pupil, posterior capsule opacification, cystoid macular oedema (CMO) but infection was conspicuously absent. Some of the results were good. With those that did not appear acceptable and could be further improved patients either received partial management or did not bother. Pain was the worrying symptom. These results of the traditional methods are not desirable but until intra-ocular lens implantation is widely practised in Ghana traditional methods are likely to compete with orthodox methods to a variable degree.