Visual outcome after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair surgery in patients with multifocal vs monofocal intraocular lenses.

Purpose: To evaluate functional outcome after retinal detachment (RD) repair surgery in eyes with a multifocal intraocular lens (mIOL).

Setting: Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.

Design: Single-center case control study.

Methods: 52 pseudophakic eyes with successful anatomical outcome after surgical RD repair were included. Retrospectively, 21 mIOL eyes were compared with a matched group of 21 monofocal eyes over 6 weeks. Prospectively, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was evaluated over 12 months in these eyes. Furthermore, uncorrected distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity (UDVA, UIVA, and UNVA, respectively), defocus curves, and patient-reported outcomes were evaluated at 1 year in 24 mIOL eyes.

Results: 52 eyes of 48 patients comprised the study. The mean CDVA (logMAR) improved significantly from 1.35 ± 1.38 to 0.29 ± 0.37 at 6 weeks and remained stable at 12 months postoperatively in monofocal eyes (P = .001) and from 1.16 ± 1.2 to 0.37 ± 0.29 (6 weeks) and 0.20 ± 0.36 (12 months) in mIOL eyes (P = .001). Univariate factorial analysis of variance showed no statistically significant differences in CDVA at 6 weeks or 12 months postoperatively for IOL type or for preoperative macular status (P > .05). In the prospective cohort of 24 mIOL eyes, a mean CDVA of 0.13 ± 0.33 logMAR, UDVA of 0.21 ± 0.34 logMAR, UIVA of 0.17 ± 0.28 logMAR, and UNVA of 0.23 ± 0.32 logMAR was achieved. Macular status did not affect final outcome significantly (P > .05). Most patients stated they usually did not need spectacles; no patient wanted mIOL replacement.

Conclusions: 1 year after successful anatomical repair after 23-gauge vitrectomy with gas tamponade, functionality of mIOL was restored, and CDVA was comparable with that of patients with monofocal IOL.