{"id":328425,"date":"2025-03-25T08:32:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T13:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=328425"},"modified":"2025-03-24T19:34:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T00:34:03","slug":"preemie-baby-cataract-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/preemie-baby-cataract-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"31-week-old preemie sets record as youngest baby to have cataract surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Just a few months ago, a renowned Indian ophthalmologist successfully performed cataract surgery on a premature baby boy born at just 31 weeks \u2014 the youngest patient on record to receive such a surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the baby weighing a little over two pounds, the surgery was carried out using instruments and techniques specific to <\/span>pediatric cataract removal<\/span><\/a>. Alongside anesthetist Dr. Suman Shree R and their team, Dr. Sri Ganesh <\/span>successfully performed the procedure<\/span><\/a> at Nethradhama Super Specialty Eye Hospital in Bengaluru, India<\/span>. Dr. Ganesh explained, \u201cRestoring the vision of such a young patient is both challenging and rewarding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Testing was done before the surgery to confirm the cataracts and determine if there were any other complications in the eyes such as retinopathy of prematurity \u2014 a very common eye condition in preemies. The techniques that made this premature baby\u2019s surgery special were a micro-incision, an anterior vitrectomy (or the removal of the eye gel in front of the iris), a posterior capsulorhexis (the creation of an opening in the lens capsule), and the insertion and implantation of an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). These techniques, used together, <\/span>allow for lower risks, faster healing, and better vision outcomes<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: Despite IVF mixup, court rules \u2018Baby Sophie\u2019 will not be placed with biological parents<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Cataract development in infants is responsible for <\/span>5-20% of childhood blindness<\/span><\/a>, according to Eyewiki. Removing significant cataracts at an early age, whether in one or both eyes, can help <\/span>prevent future eye problems<\/span><\/a> including strabismus, amblyopia, glaucoma, and poor visual development. Often, if significant cataracts are not removed during the critical visual development period for a child, their vision may be permanently stunted. According to an American Academy of Ophthalmology report, when an infant has a cataract in one eye only (unilateral), it is more critical for them to have cataract surgery <\/span>within the first six weeks following birth<\/span><\/a> to allow for proper visual development; studies have been less conclusive regarding surgery timing for cataracts in both eyes (bilateral). <\/span><\/p>\n

However, if the cataracts are very dense, such as in the case of this 31-week-old preemie, it is best to remove them sooner rather than later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The causes of congenital cataracts include metabolic disorders, genetic abnormalities, and trauma. They can also be the result of other eye problems such as uveitis, eye tumors, retinal detachments, and a maternal infection of rubella \u2014\u00a0however, these are less common in very young infants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are forever indebted to Dr. Sri Ganesh and his team,” the parents of the premature baby said in a statement. “They not only restored our child\u2019s vision but also gave us hope and strength during one of the most difficult times of our lives.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many other stories of medical advancements leading to life-saving surgeries on the preemie population. <\/span>Baby Alex, born at 26 weeks at just under two pounds, underwent <\/span>two complex surgeries<\/span><\/a> over the early months of life to correct a serious heart condition. Baby Harper, a twin born at 23 weeks weighing just one pound, overcame <\/span>surgery to correct esophageal atresia<\/span><\/a> in which the esophagus and stomach do not connect. <\/span><\/p>\n

These children and many more are all thriving now thanks to the ever-advancing medical world and the dedicated surgeons who value life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just a few months ago, a renowned Indian ophthalmologist successfully performed cataract surgery on a premature baby boy born at just 31 weeks \u2014 the youngest patient on record to receive such a surgery. With the baby weighing a little over two pounds, the surgery was carried out using instruments and techniques specific to pediatric […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":670,"featured_media":294137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[9455,3473],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n31-week-old preemie sets record as youngest baby to have cataract surgery<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A renowned ophthalmologist performed cataract surgery on a premature baby born at just 31 weeks, the youngest patient to receive the surgery.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/preemie-baby-cataract-surgery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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