Purpose: To examine the influence of intraocular lens (IOL) optic edge design and optic material on fibrosis of the anterior and peripheral posterior capsules and on capsulorhexis contraction.
Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Methods: This randomized controlled patient- and examiner-masked study comprised 210 eyes of 105 patients with bilateral age-related cataract. In Group 1 (n = 53), the Sensar OptiEdge AR40e hydrophobic acrylic IOL with a sharp posterior optic edge was compared with the AR40 acrylic IOL with a round edge. In Group 2 (n = 52), the ClariFlex OptiEdge silicone IOL with a sharp posterior optic edge was compared with the PhacoFlex SI-40 silicone IOL with a round edge All IOLs were manufactured by Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. Standardized digital slitlamp images of anterior capsule opacification (ACO) and fibrotic posterior capsule opacification (PCO) were taken 1 year postoperatively, and digital retroillumination images were taken at 1 week and 1 year. The intensity of fibrotic PCO was graded subjectively (score 0 to 4), ACO was graded objectively (score 0% to 100%), and the capsulorhexis area (mm(2)) was determined objectively.
Results: One year after surgery, the mean ACO score was 32% in eyes with the sharp-edged acrylic IOL and 29% in eyes with the round-edged acrylic IOL (P<.05). In the silicone group, the mean was 31% and 26%, respectively (P<.05). The mean fibrotic PCO score was lower in eyes with a sharp-edged acrylic IOL than in eyes with a round-edged acrylic IOL (0.26 and 0.93, respectively; P<.05) and in eyes with a sharp-edged silicone IOL than in eyes with a round-edged silicone IOL (0.24 and 0.82, respectively; P<.001). At 1 year, the mean capsulorhexis area was statistically significantly smaller in eyes with a sharp-edged silicone IOL than in eyes with a round-edged silicone IOL (P<.05).
Conclusions: Acrylic and silicone IOLs with the sharp OptiEdge design led to significantly less fibrotic PCO but more ACO than round-edged acrylic and silicone IOLs. The sharp-edged silicone IOL caused significantly more capsulorhexis contraction than the round-edged silicone IOL and both acrylic IOLs.