[Incidence of secondary cataract in sulcus versus capsular bag fixation of posterior chamber lenses].

We present a retrospective study on the incidence of visually impairing secondary posterior capsule opacification following fixation of an intraocular lens implant either in the ciliary sulcus or the capsular bag. One hundred patients in each group were evaluated 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 years following uncomplicated extracapsular cataract extraction. Only implants with convex-plane optics and forward angulated haptics were used. The incidence of capsular opacification was 20% in eyes with sulcus fixation as opposed to 14% for those with capsular bag fixation. This difference was statistically not significant. The difference in average postoperative interval until development of the secondary cataract (21 months for sulcus, 28 months for capsular bag fixation) or the age of patients with capsular opacification was statistically not significant either. However, it was noted that of the younger patients, between 40 and 50 years at the time of operation, only those with sulcus fixated implants developed secondary cataracts.