Intraindividual comparison of a blue-light filter on visual function: AF-1 (UY) versus AF-1 (UV) intraocular lens.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the AF-1 (UY) blue-light-filtering intraocular lens (IOL) with a yellow chromophore (Hoya) on visual function, including contrast vision and color perception.

Settings: Five clinical ophthalmology centers in Germany.

Methods: Two types of IOLs that were identical except for a blue-light filter on 1 were compared in a prospective randomized multicenter study with intraindividual comparisons. Postoperatively, uncorrected and best corrected visual acuities, pupil size, contrast vision (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart, functional acuity contrast test, photopic, mesopic, mesopic with glare), and color discrimination (Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test, photopic and mesopic) were evaluated.

Results: There were no significant differences between the 2 IOLs except in color vision dependent on blue light. Color perception for blue with the blue-light-filtering IOL was significantly reduced under mesopic conditions over the 12-month follow-up and under photopic conditions over 6 months. Despite the difference, all measured total error scores were within normal range and no patient reported impaired color vision.

Conclusions: The blue-light-filtering IOL with a yellow chromophore had no effect on contrast vision and visual acuity. However, the impairment of color perception for blue was statistically significant. The impairment of the blue perception did not exceed the normal range or induce subjective disturbance of color vision.