Effect of heparin surface modification of polymethylmethacrylate intraocular lenses on signs of postoperative inflammation after extracapsular cataract extraction. One-year results of a double-masked multicenter study.
OBJECTIVE
A heparin surface modified posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) was compared with a conventional polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) IOL regarding postoperative complications caused by inflammation.


METHODS
Five hundred twenty-four patients from 10 different centers were included in a parallel group, double-masked, multicenter study.


RESULTS
The cumulative number of patients with inflammatory cellular deposits on their IOLs during the first postoperative year differed significantly in favor of the heparin surface modified group, with 29.8% of the patients having cellular deposits compared with 48.8% of patients in the control group. Cellular deposits were observed most frequently at 3 months after surgery, and the difference between the groups was most pronounced and statistically significant at this time. The same results were seen at 1 year, but the difference was not significant. The number of cellular deposits per patient, however, was significantly lower in the heparin surface modified group at 1 year. Cumulatively, there were significantly more patients with posterior synechiae in the PMMA group than in the heparin surface modified group during the 1-year follow-up. Complications were few and comparable between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that heparin surface modification reduces the inflammatory response to PMMA IOLs.
Borgioli
M
M
Ospedale di Macerata, Italy.
Coster
D J
DJ
Fan
R F
RF
Henderson
J
J
Jacobi
K W
KW
Kirkby
G R
GR
Lai
Y K
YK
Menezo
J L
JL
Montard
M
M
Strobel
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006493:Heparin; D006801:Humans; D007500:Iritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D020366:Methylmethacrylate; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013499:Surface Properties; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity
D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D020366:Methylmethacrylate; D006493:Heparin