What is Aphakia?
Aphakia (a-FAY-key-ah) is the term used to describe an eye that does not have a natural lens.
- Aphakia is a rare condition.
- It is usually seen as a result of surgery during infancy to remove congenital cataracts (clouding over the lens of the eye, which blocks light).
Treatment of Aphakia
It is very important to remove the cataracts and treat the aphakia. Treatment for aphakia can include glasses, but contact lenses are often the best choice.
The Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute at Cincinnati Children’s offers specialty contact lenses for the treatment of aphakia. These contacts lenses are safe for your baby to sleep in. You can also use them for a longer period of time than traditional contact lenses.
If your child has aphakia, they may need other treatments in addition to wearing contact lenses. This might include using eye drops or an eye patch, or both. The goal is to make sure your child uses the eye with aphakia, so it does not become weak (amblyopia, or lazy eye).
