Effect of a capsular tension ring on intraocular lens decentration and tilting after cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of a capsular tension ring (CTR) on the tilting and decentration of intraocular lenses (IOLs) after cataract surgery.

SETTING

Department of Ophthalmology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Kyunggyi-do, Korea.

METHODS

Cataract surgery was performed in both eyes of 20 patients ranging in age from 57 to 75 years. The 40 eyes were divided into 2 groups based on whether a CTR (Lucid Korea) was implanted. Each patient received a CTR in 1 eye only. All IOLs (AcrySof MA60BM, Alcon) were implanted in the capsular bag after a continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis smaller than the IOL optic was created and phacoemulsification performed. The extent of IOL tilting and decentration was measured with the EAS-1000 anterior eye segment analysis system 7, 30, and 60 days after surgery.

RESULTS

The extent of IOL decentration was statistically significantly less in eyes with both an IOL and CTR than in those with an IOL only. The mean decentration in the CTR-IOL group was 0.38 mm +/- 0.16 (SD) at 7 days, 0.43 +/- 0.15 mm at 30 days, and 0.42 +/- 0.17 mm at 60 days. The mean values in the IOL-only group were 0.49 +/- 0.11 mm, 0.53 +/- 0.14 mm, and 0.57 +/- 0.16 mm, respectively. The amount of IOL tilting was also significantly less in the CTR-IOL group. The mean tilting in the CTR-IOL group was 2.22 +/- 0.46 degrees at 7 days, 2.36 +/- 0.50 degrees at 30 days, and 2.47 +/- 0.40 degrees at 60 days. The mean values in the IOL-only group were 3.14 +/- 0.65 degrees, 2.91 +/- 0.67 degrees, and 3.06 +/- 0.56 degrees, respectively.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that the CTR reduces undesirable postsurgical IOL movement for at least 60 days.