Effect of haptic design on change in axial lens position after cataract surgery.

Purpose: To compare the postoperative changes in anterior chamber depth (ACD) between single-piece and multipiece AcrySof intraocular lenses (IOLs) (Alcon Laboratories, Inc.) and their effect on the postoperative refractive shift.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Methods: This prospective randomized bilateral study with intraindividual comparison comprised 104 eyes of 52 consecutive patients with age-related cataract. All patients had standardized cataract surgery with a temporal self-sealing incision, phacoemulsification, and IOL implantation in the capsular bag. The first 30 patients received a single-piece, 5.5 mm optic IOL (AcrySof SA30) in 1 eye and a multipiece IOL (AcrySof MA30) in the other eye. Another 22 patients received the corresponding 6.0 mm optic models (AcrySof SA60 and AcrySof MA60, respectively). Anterior chamber depth measurements and evaluation of the change in ACD during the first 6 postoperative months were performed using partial coherence laser interferometry. The amount of change in capsulorhexis size during the first 6 postoperative months was assessed using standardized retroillumination photographs.

Results: Single-piece IOLs shifted significantly less postoperatively than multipiece IOLs. The multipiece IOLs shifted forward, especially from 1 day to 1 month. The change in the capsulorhexis area was similar between IOL types.

Conclusions: Single-piece AcrySof IOLs shifted minimally after the first postoperative day; therefore, the prescription for spectacles in eyes with this IOL can be obtained soon after surgery.