Intermediate and near visual acuity of an aspheric, bifocal, diffractive multifocal intraocular lens with +3.25 D near addition.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes after cataract surgery with implantation of a new diffractive multifocal intraocular lens with a lower near addition.

METHODS

A prospective multicenter clinical study including 44 eyes of 44 patients (age range: 43 to 82 years) that underwent cataract surgery with implantation of the Tecnis ZLB00 multifocal intraocular lens (Abbott Medical Optics, Santa Ana, CA). Changes in uncorrected and corrected distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity, and manifest refraction were evaluated during a 3-month follow-up. Additionally, patients were asked about photic phenomena and spectacle dependence.

RESULTS

Postoperative spherical equivalent was within 0.50 and ± 1.00 diopters of emmetropia in 91.2% and 100% of eyes, respectively. Postoperative monocular uncorrected distance, near, and intermediate visual acuities were 0.10 logMAR (20/25 Snellen) or better in 82.5%, 86.5%, and 68.8% of eyes, respectively. All eyes achieved monocular corrected distance and near visual acuity of 0.10 logMAR (20/25 Snellen) or better. All patients reported to be satisfied with the outcomes of the surgery. Only 6 patients (13.6%) required the use of spectacles for some daily activities postoperatively, and 8 patients (18.2%) reported mild perception of halos.

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of low addition multifocal intraocular lenses follows a trend to increase intermediate visual acuity. Still, a near addition of +3.25 diopters reached satisfying near results and led to high patient satisfaction.