Neodymium:YAG laser rates after bilateral implantation of hydrophobic or hydrophilic multifocal intraocular lenses: twenty-four month retrospective comparative study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare 2-year neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy rates after bilateral implantation of hydrophobic or hydrophilic multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs).


METHODS
Private practice, southwest France.


METHODS
This retrospective study included patients with cataract or clear lenses who had bilateral implantation of AcrySof ReSTOR hydrophobic or Acri.LISA hydrophilic acrylic multifocal IOLs between May 2004 and June 2009 by the same surgeon at 1 clinic. Data were extracted from patients' files maintained by the surgeon and ophthalmologists involved in postoperative care. Time from IOL implantation to Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Imbalances in confounding variables were adjusted with a Cox model.


RESULTS
The hydrophobic IOL group comprised 80 patients and the hydrophilic IOL group, 76 patients. There were significantly more men in the hydrophobic group (51.3%) than in the hydrophilic group (30.7%) and patients were significantly younger in the hydrophobic group (63.0 years versus 65.8 years) (both P<.01). Eighteen months postoperatively, 4.4% of eyes in the hydrophobic group and 14.6% of eyes in the hydrophilic group required Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy. After 24 months, the respective rates were 8.8% and 37.2% (P<.0001). Eyes in the hydrophilic group had a 4.50-fold (2.28 versus 8.91) higher risk for Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy (P<.0001) that persisted after adjusting for age (relative risk 4.64, 2.32 to 9.29) (P<.0001). Patients younger than 63.5 years in the hydrophilic group were more likely to require Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Capsulotomy was significantly less frequent after hydrophobic IOL implantation than after hydrophilic IOL implantation 24 months postoperatively.


BACKGROUND
No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. An additional disclosure is found in the footnotes.
Gauthier
Laurent
L
Saint-Jean de Luz, Cemka-Eval, Paris, France.
Lafuma
Antoine
A
Laurendeau
Caroline
C
Berdeaux
Gilles
G
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000180:Acrylic Resins