Intraindividual comparison of capsule behavior of 2 hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses during a 5-year follow-up.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the 5-year postoperative anterior (ACO) and posterior capsule opacification (PCO), the occurrence of glistenings, and the level of anterior capsule retraction after implantation of 2 designs of 1-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOLs.

Setting: Hospital St. John, Vienna, Austria.

Design: Randomized controlled prospective case series.

Methods: Patients had an Acrysof SA60AT IOL (Group A) implanted in 1 eye and a Tecnis ZCB00 IOL (Group B) implanted in the fellow eye. At 1, 3, and 5 years, the PCO level was evaluated with the Evaluation of Posterior Capsule Opacification software. The level of ACO and capsule retraction was graded subjectively. Glistenings were scored as present or not present.

Results: Fifty eyes of 25 patients were evaluated after 5 years. No significant differences in PCO scores were found between the 2 groups at all follow-up visits (1 year: 0.06 ± 0.12 [SD] versus 0.07 ± 0.13, P = .35; 3 years: 0.23 ± 0.36 versus 0.22 ± 0.32, P = .66; 5 years: 0.36 ± 0.41 versus 0.36 ± 0.54, P = .98). A significant increase in PCO score was found between 3 and 5 years (P < .01). Anterior capsule opacification was present in Group A and Group B in 18.0% and 2.7% of eyes (P = .03), in 92.0% and 24.0% of eyes, and in 100% and 52% of eyes (P < .01) at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Glistenings (5 years 100%) were observed in Group A.

Conclusion: Both IOLs had a comparable PCO rate 5 years after surgery, although more ACO and retraction as well as glistenings were observed in Group A.