Ocular preference following implantation of aspheric and spherical intraocular lenses; an intra-individual comparison.
OBJECTIVE
recently, intraocular lenses (IOLs) that possess an aspheric design, compensating for the spherical aberration (SA) of the cornea, have been developed. We designed this study to compare a group of patients who had undergone bilateral cataract surgery and had received one spherical IOL and one aspheric IOL, to assess their ocular preference.


METHODS
patients were recruited from those who had undergone bilateral cataract surgery during the preceding six months (32 patients). Types of aspheric IOLs, which were used included: Tecnis ZA9003, AcrysofIQ SN60WF and Akreos Adapt AO. Contrast acuity was measured using a CSV-1000CVA instrument and spherical aberration (SA) was measured using a Zywave aberrometer. Patients also answered a brief questionnaire, designed to determine whether they could detect any difference between their spherical and aspheric IOLs and whether they had an ocular preference.


RESULTS
no differences were found between spherical and aspheric IOLs in contrast acuity. Total ocular spherical aberration was greater among eyes with spherical IOLs compared with aspheric IOLs (t = 6.67; p < 0.0001). Patients' ocular preference was unrelated to the presence of an aspheric IOL or the amount of spherical aberration, but was associated with the level of ametropia and visual acuity.


CONCLUSIONS
we were unable to find any impact on a patient's subjective visual quality from a reduction of spherical aberration by the presence of an aspheric IOL. Ocular preference was determined by level of visual acuity and degree of ametropia post-operatively.
Landers
John
J
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville South and the South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. john.landers@bigpond.com
Goggin
Michael
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D005123:Eye / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014792:Visual Acuity