Surgical Anatomy of Pediatric Eyes: Differences from Adults

In this chapter, we review the unique surgical anatomy of the pediatric eye and complex needs of pediatric patients requiring vitreoretinal surgery. There are many differences in the care of these patients, affecting everything from preoperative risk assessment, choice of anesthesia, to surgical approach and the goals of intervention. Using a number of representative cases, we provide an overview of some of the considerations that should be made when approaching some common surgical conditions in this population, including pitfalls to avoid and best practices where there is consensus. Where there may be widespread variation in practice, we try to highlight the diversity of approaches that can be successful as well, based on personal preference and training differences. Most of the topics here are covered elsewhere within this textbook, and elsewhere, in more detail, and we would direct the reader to additional resources to be fully prepared to tackle these challenging cases.