Investigation of the stability of one-piece acrylic intraocular lenses in cataract surgery and in combined vitrectomy surgery.

BACKGROUND

To compare the degrees of intraocular lens (IOL) movement between eyes that received a one-piece acrylic IOL and those that received a three-piece acrylic IOL after cataract surgery, and also among eyes that received a one-piece acrylic IOL after a combined vitrectomy surgery for cataract.

METHODS

In the first study, we report on 50 patients who were implanted with a one-piece acrylic IOL in one eye and a three-piece acrylic IOL in the contralateral eye for senile cataract. In the second study, we report on 50 patients who were implanted with a one-piece acrylic IOL in combined vitrectomy surgery for cataract and retinal diseases. The degree of IOL decentration and tilt, and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured using Scheimpflug video photography at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after surgery in both the studies. The postoperative refractive status was also examined.

RESULTS

The mean decentration and tilt showed no marked changes during the follow-up in eyes with either IOL implanted, and no marked differences were noted in either study throughout the follow-up. The ACD did not change after surgery with one-piece IOL implantation, for either the cataract surgery group or the combined surgery group, except for 1 week after surgery in eyes requiring gas tamponade. In contrast, marked shallowing in ACD was observed in the three-piece group after cataract surgery. The spherical equivalent did not change markedly in either study.

CONCLUSIONS

The one-piece acrylic IOL was stable in the capsular bag, both horizontally and vertically, after cataract surgery, and also after combined surgery.