Technique of implantation of extrapupillary iris lens: 8 years of clinical experience.

A new type of intraocular lens has been devised. The lens is iris-supported but, in contrast to conventional iris-clip lenses, is fixed at the iris periphery, leaving the pupillary region free. The lens may be implanted either anterior or posterior to the iris plane. Implantation into the posterior chamber is particularly beneficial when combined with an extracapsular extraction. Eight years' experience (189 operations) underlines a number of important advantages of the extrapupillary iris lens. The pupil is not distorted, so that its form and function remain normal; the danger of dislocation is avoided; and the lens may be employed in the presence of an iris coloboma. The supporting prongs of the lens are made of gold and platinum alloys, which add considerably to its tissue tolerance. So far no complication has arisen necessitating removal of such a lens. This new type of intraocular lens offers a combination of efficacy, safety, and technical simplicity.