Long-term compatibility of intraocular lens implant materials

This paper provides a general review of the long-term compatibility of intraocular lenses (IOLs), with specific reference to the compatibility of synthetic polymers used to fabricate IOLs. The first IOL was implanted in 1949. It was composed of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and placed in the posterior chamber of the eye. In 1990, approximately 1.4 million IOLs were implanted in the U.S., nearly all composed of PMMA and nearly all implanted in the posterior chamber of the eye. However, many changes have taken place in the past 40 years to improve the compatibility of IOLs and to make cataract surgery and IOL implantation among the safest and most effective major surgical procedures.