12 year results of a prospective trial comparing poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) intraocular lenses.
OBJECTIVE
To compare long-term biocompatibility of single-piece poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (P-HEMA) intraocular lenses (IOLs).


METHODS
District General Hospital, United Kingdom.


METHODS
In a prospective trial of 250 eyes that had uncomplicated extracapsular cataract extraction, 2 groups of 125 eyes each were matched for age and sex. One group received single-piece looped PMMA IOLs and the other, single-piece solid-haptic P-HEMA IOLs. In all eyes, the IOLs were implanted in the capsular bag at the time of surgery using the envelope technique.


RESULTS
Twelve years after surgery, 75 eyes were available for examination. In the PMMA group (40 eyes), 50% had a visual acuity of 20/20 and 50% had intact capsules, many of them with a degree of fibrosis. In the P-HEMA group (35 eyes), 71% had an acuity of 20/20 and 80% had intact capsules (P = .0085).


CONCLUSIONS
In the long term, biocompatibility was better in the P-HEMA group than in the PMMA group.
Khan
A J
AJ
Department of Ophthalmology, Scarborough Hospital, England.
Percival
S P
SP
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011102:Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011102:Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate