title: Effect of the hydrophilicity of acrylic intraocular lens material and haptic angulation on anterior capsule opacification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of hydrophilic and hydrophobic acrylic material and haptic angulation on anterior capsule opacification (ACO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study on 53 patients with bilateral age-related cataract. Patients underwent standard cataract surgery by the same surgeon and randomly received a hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) in one eye and a hydrophobic acrylic IOL in the other eye. Forty five of these patients completed the one-year follow-up. The following parameters were assessed: decentration, buttonholing, anterolenticular gap (ALG), ACO, outgrowth and refractive outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the one-year follow-up, ACO was seen in 80% of the hydrophilic and 100% of the hydrophobic IOLs. ACO was more intense in the hydrophobic IOLs (p<0.001). Outgrowth was seen in 42% of the hydrophilic and 2% of the hydrophobic IOLs (p = 0.0003). No case of persisting ALG was seen in the hydrophobic IOLs, but in 42% of the hydrophilic IOLs. The refractive outcome was -0.29 (SD 0.56) dioptres for the hydrophilic and 0.003 (SD 0.44) dioptres for the hydrophobic IOLs (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that there is less ACO in hydrophilic acrylic than in hydrophobic acrylic IOLs. Although material properties might play a role, the angulated haptics of the hydrophilic IOLs exert an additional effect by the persisting ALG and a lack of contact between the IOL and the anterior capsule.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Austria. lorenz.vock@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Lorenz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vock
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Georgopoulos
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neumayer
authors.forename: Wolf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buehl
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Findl
mesh_terms: D000179:Acrylates; D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000379:methods; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012008:Recurrence; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000209:etiology; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D000179:Acrylates; D000180:Acrylic Resins; D014867:Water; C035956:methyl acrylate