Accurate determination of effective lens position and lens-capsule distance with 4 intraocular lenses.

PURPOSE

To measure effective lens position (ELP) of 4 intraocular lenses (IOLs) using high precision and high resolution dual-beam partial coherence interferometry (PCI) and to assess the tendency of these IOLs to produce a lens-capsule distance (LCD), a possible risk factor for posterior capsule opacification.

SETTING

Department of Ophthalmology, Vienna General Hospital; Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna, Austria.

METHODS

In a retrospective study, PCI was used to measure ELP and LCD in 139 pseudophakic eyes of 110 patients with 4 IOLs: acrylic 3-piece IOL (AcrySof MA60BM); silicone 3-piece IOL without a capsular tension ring (PhacoFlex SI30) and with a capsular tension ring (PhacoFlex SI30 and Morcher Type 14); silicone plate-haptic IOL (Staar AA4203VF); and a hydrogel plate-haptic IOL (logel 1103).

RESULTS

The ELP and LCD were determined with a precision of approximately 3 to 4 microns. An LCD was detected in 21% eyes with the AcrySof, 20% of eyes with the SI30 without a capsular tension ring, 10% of eyes with a capsular tension ring, 21% of eyes with the Staar, and 17% of eyes with the logel. The LCDs detected by PCI, but not by slitlamp examination, were significantly smaller than those detected by both.

CONCLUSION

The amount of LCD detected by PCI was approximately the same with all IOL types (approximately 20%) except the PhacoFlex SI30 with a capsular tension ring (10%).