Visual performance of acrylic and PMMA intraocular lenses.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the quality of visual functions after cataract surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with different lens materials and compare the results with age-matched subjects with clear phakic eyes.


METHODS
Control and pseudophakic groups involved individuals aged between 50 and 75 years, without any accompanying ocular or systemic disease. In all, 50 eyes implanted with foldable acrylic IOLs, and 41 eyes implanted with polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) IOLs were compared with 45 phakic eyes as controls. Visual functions were evaluated for contrast sensitivity function and glare disability. The results were compared statistically using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).


RESULTS
At high luminance levels, the difference among groups for contrast sensitivity was statistically significant for all spatial frequencies (P<0.05). Although the acrylic IOL-implanted eyes had better results at all three spatial frequencies, no significant difference existed between the two study groups for these spatial frequencies (P>0.05). Glare disability scores were significantly higher in the PMMA-IOL group compared to the control and acrylic-IOL groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The visual quality achieved in pseudophakic eyes was not as good as in clear phakic eyes in regard to contrast sensitivity and glare. However, acrylic IOLs fared better than PMMA IOLs.
Gozum
N
N
Cataract and Refractive Surgery Service, Department of Ophthamology, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Turkey.
Unal
E Safgonul
ES
Altan-Yaycioglu
R
R
Gucukoglu
A
A
Ozgun
C
C
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D019466:Glare; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008875:Middle Aged; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014792:Visual Acuity
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate