Purpose: To present the 10- to 12-year functional and morphological results of in-the-bag implantation of a foldable, plate-haptic, silicone posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL).
Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria.
Methods: Between September 1987 and December 1989, 160 silicone posterior chamber IOLs (Staar AA-4203C) were implanted in the capsular bag through a 3.5 mm corneoscleral incision after a continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis was created. In spring 1999, 36 patients (38 eyes) could be included in a follow-up examination.
Results: The median follow-up was 10.5 years +/- 2 (SD). The mean visual acuity was 0.82 +/- 0.34. The mean refraction (spherical equivalent) was +0.57 diopter (D), an insignificant change from the mean at the first postoperative follow-up at 1 month (+0.40 D). Slitlamp examination showed mildly dispersed pigment on the IOL surface in 81.58% of cases. All IOLs had a Tyndall effect (clouding). In 84.21%, the effect was minimal, in 10.53% it was moderate, and in 5.26% it was more intense. Ninety-two percent of the IOLs were centered within 0.5 mm. Of the 22 cases of decentration (57.89%), 86.36% were toward the 12 o'clock position in the bag. The neodymium:YAG capsulotomy rate was 10.52%. There were no cases of IOL-related inflammation or a clinically significant cystoid macular edema.
Conclusion: The 10- to 12-year results suggest favorable clinical results of implantation of Staar AA-4203C plate-haptic, silicone posterior chamber IOLs.