title: High and low contrast visual acuity after artiflex phakic intraocular lens implantation for the correction of myopia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of Artiflex phakic intraocular lens (PIOL) implantation on best spectacle-corrected high and low contrast visual acuity under photopic and mesopic conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two consecutive eyes had implantation of a foldable iris-supported PIOL to correct myopia. The mean preoperative spherical equivalent refraction was -7.26+/-1.91 diopters (D) (range: -4.90 to -13.60 D). The high (100%) and low (2.5%) contrast visual acuity with best spectacle correction was tested with translucent logarithmic visual acuity charts (Precision Vision) under photopic and mesopic conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At mean 7.6+/-5.4 months after PIOL implantation, the mean high and low contrast visual acuity under photopic and mesopic conditions had significantly increased from preoperatively: photopic high contrast visual acuity from -0.07+/-0.11 logMAR to -0.14+/-0.08 logMAR (P<.001); photopic low contrast visual acuity from 0.48+/-0.14 logMAR to 0.36+/-0.11 logMAR (P=.011); mesopic high contrast visual acuity from -0.09+/-0.09 logMAR to -0.16+/-0.08 logMAR (P<.001); and mesopic low contrast visual acuity from 0.50+/-0.13 logMAR to 0.33+/-0.10 logMAR (P<.001). Mean postoperative spherical equivalent refraction was -0.21+/-0.28 D (range: +0.50 to -0.75 D). Of all eyes, 91.9% were within 0.50 D of attempted correction, and 67% gained 1 or more lines of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA). No eye lost 2 or more lines of BSCVA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Artiflex PIOL implantation for the correction of moderate to high myopia seems to be a safe and predictable procedure, which resulted in increased high and low contrast visual acuity under photopic and mesopic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medisch Centrum Haaglanden, The Hague, The Netherlands. l.van.philips@mchaaglanden.nl
authors.forename: Lucien A M
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: van Philips
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D054120:Phakic Intraocular Lenses; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult