Effect of a single-piece and a three-piece acrylic sharp-edged IOL on posterior capsule opacification.

Background: To compare the intensity of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) between two intraocular lenses (IOLs) of the same optic material, but with different haptic design (1-piece vs. 3-piece).

Methods: This prospective intraindividual controlled cohort study comprised eighty eyes of 40 patients with bilateral age-related cataract. Each patient received a Polylens Y10 (Polytech, Germany) 1-piece IOL in 1 eye and a Polylens Y30 (Polytech, Germany) 3-piece IOL in the contralateral eye. The IOL type in the first operated eye was randomly assigned before patient recruitment. Digital slitlamp photographs were taken 1 year postoperatively using a standardized photographic technique for regeneratory PCO. The amount of PCO was assessed subjectively at the slitlamp and objectively using automated image-analysis software.

Results: The Polylens Y10 (1-piece) group showed significantly higher regeneratory and fibrotic PCO scores 1 year after surgery in subjective slitlamp evaluation, however not with objective evaluation using automated image-analysis software. Subjective PCO assessment resulted in a mean PCO score (scale = 0-10) of 1.6 in the Polylens Y10 group and 0.6 in the Polylens Y30 group at 1 year (p < 0.05). The mean automated image-analysis software PCO score was 1.5 in the Polylens Y10 group and 0.9 in the Polylens Y30 group (p = 0.6).

Conclusion: Both investigated IOLs showed good clinical performance regarding PCO, BCVA and IOL-centration. The Polylens Y10 IOL showed slightly more regeneratory PCO than the 3-piece acrylic IOL 1 year after surgery.