Synthetic keratophakia for the correction of aphakia.

Although the majority of aphakic patients will have intraocular lens implants (IOLs), there are several groups of patients for whom IOLs are not indicated. Synthetic keratophakia for the correction of aphakia has several inherent advantages over alternative forms of refractive surgery which use lathed corneal tissue. For example, the ability to produce a synthetic lens to precise specifications before surgery is a dramatic advantage over the use of lathed tissue lenses whose refractive properties cannot be determined until weeks or months after the lens is in place on the recipient cornea. Synthetic materials appear to behave in a predictable manner and are biocompatible. Both polysulfones and hydrogel materials can be used to correct aphakia in clinical situations where other modalities are less appropriate.