[Functional results after intraocular lens implantation with or without blue light filter: an intraindividual...

The new generation of intraocular lenses (IOL) with an additional blue light filter has a slight yellowish colour (compared to the IOLs with only a UV filter) due to its different light transmitting properties. This could have an effect on contrast sensitivity and subjective visual perception.

In this intraindividual prospective comparative study including 14 cataract patients without further ocular pathology, a blue light filtering IOL (SN60AT, Alcon) was implanted in one eye and 1 month later a conventional single-piece IOL (SA60AT, Alcon) was fitted into the fellow eye. The visual acuity and the clinical findings were assessed at one day and four weeks post-operatively. Contrast sensitivity was tested under defined mesopic (6 cd/m(2)) and high mesopic (18.8 cd/m(2)) light conditions in the Ginsburg Box using the Functional Acuity Contrast Test (F.A.C.T.). Furthermore, subjective differences in the visual perception of both eyes were noted.

The contrast sensitivity testing 1 day and 1 month postoperatively, revealed no statistically significant differences (P > 0.008) between both IOL types for all spatial frequencies (1.5/3/6/12/18 cpd) and light levels. 13 patients (85 %) reported no differences in the colour perception of both eyes, and none had visual disturbances.

This intraindividual comparison revealed no relevant differences concerning mesopic contrast sensitivity and the subjective visual perception after implantation of one IOL with or without a blue light filter.