Early visual results with the 1CU accommodating intraocular lens

Purpose

To prospectively assess the clinical outcome after implantation of the 1CU accommodating intraocular lens (IOL) and a foldable acrylic IOL (AcrySof, Alcon).

Setting

Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Ichikawa Hospital, Ichikawa, and Minami Aoyama Eye Clinics, Tokyo, Yokohama, Japan.

Methods

Twenty-two eyes of 16 patients with cataract had phacoemulsification implantation of 1CU accommodating IOL. Twenty eyes of 10 age-matched and sex-matched patients with cataract had the same surgery but with a foldable acrylic IOL. All patients had assessments of the amplitude of accommodation, refraction, uncorrected and best corrected distance and near visual acuity, and distance corrected near visual acuity before surgery up to 12 months after surgery. Contrast visual acuities were measured 1 year after surgery. Anterior segment photography, intraocular pressure measurements, specular microscopy, and computerized topography were also performed.

Results

The final best corrected distance visual acuity was above 20/25 in all eyes with the 1CU and the AcrySof IOLs. The mean distance corrected near visual acuity was significantly higher in the 1CU IOL group than in the acrylic IOL group after 3 months. None of the eyes with the AcrySof IOL implants displayed an accommodative response at any examination. The peak mean amplitude of accommodation with the 1CU IOLs was observed at 3 months and was 0.5 diopters ± 0.44 (SD). Accommodation amplitude declined after 6 months.

Conclusion

The 1CU IOL provided additional near acuity postoperatively, but the benefit disappeared at 12 months with a concomitant decrease in accommodation amplitude owing to an increase in anterior and posterior capsular opacities.