Related Experiment Videos
Long-term endothelial changes in phakic eyes with posterior chamber intraocular lenses
Irene Dejaco-Ruhswurm1, Ursula Scholz, Stefan Pieh
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria. irene.ruhswurm@akh-wien.ac.at
Purpose:
To evaluate the long-term endothelial cell changes in phakic eyes after implantation of a posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens to correct high ametropia.
Setting:
Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Methods:
Thirty-four eyes of 21 patients having implantation of an implantable contact lens (ICL, Staar Surgical) for high myopia or hyperopia were prospectively examined. The minimum follow-up was 2 to 4 years. Preoperative and serial postoperative specular microscopy (Noncon Robo SP 8000, Konan) was performed to evaluate the long-term endothelial cell changes.
Results:
The mean preoperative endothelial cell density was 2854 cells/mm(2). The mean endothelial cell loss from preoperatively was 1.8% at 3 months, 4.2% at 6 months, 5.5% at 12 months, 7.9% at 2 years (n = 34), 12.9% at 3 years (n = 13), and 12.3% at 4 years (n = 11). All other endothelial cell characteristics remained stable during the 4-year follow-up.
Conclusions:
Continuous endothelial cell loss was observed after ICL implantation during a 4-year follow-up. There was rapid cell loss until 1 year postoperatively, after which the rate of loss was no longer statistically significant. The percentage of hexagonal cells (polymorphism) and the coefficient of variation (polymegethism) remained stable during the 4-year follow-up.