Impact of a modified optic design on visual function: clinical comparative study.

Purpose: To determine whether implantation of an intraocular lens (IOL) with a modified anterior surface designed to compensate for the positive spherical aberration of the cornea in eyes of cataract patients results in improved pseudophakic quality of vision.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Bundesknappschaft's Hospital, Sulzbach, Germany.

Methods: In an intraindividual randomized study of 45 patients with bilateral cataract, an IOL with a modified anterior surface (Tecnis Z9000, Pharmacia) was compared with a biconvex lens with spherical surfaces (SI-40, Allergan). All patients had bilateral cataract surgery; in 1 eye the Z9000 IOL was implanted and in the other, the SI-40 IOL. After 1 and 3 months, the following investigations were performed: assessment of the anterior and posterior segments including IOL decentration and tilt, pupil size, high- and low-contrast visual acuities, photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivities, and wavefront aberration of the cornea and eye.

Results: Thirty-seven patients were examined at all follow-up visits. Although the eyes with the Z9000 IOL had significantly better best corrected visual acuity after 3 months, the improved quality of vision was more apparent when assessing low-contrast visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Wavefront measurements revealed no significant spherical aberration in eyes with a Z9000 IOL but significantly positive spherical aberration in eyes with an SI-40 IOL.

Conclusions: The clinical results confirm the theoretical preclinical calculations that the spherical aberration of the eye after cataract surgery can be eliminated by modifying the anterior surface of the IOL. The Tecnis Z9000 lens compensates for the positive spherical aberration in older eyes. This leads to a significant improvement, particularly in contrast sensitivity and mesopic visual quality.