Effect of posterior capsular opacification on visual function in patients with monofocal and multifocal intraocular...

To compare the effect of posterior capsular opacification (PCO) on visual function in patients with monofocal and multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs).

Thirty-three consecutive patients with clinically significant PCO, 24 with monofocal, and nine with multifocal IOLs, were recruited. Patients with concurrent cause of visual loss or pupillary distortion were excluded. LogMAR high- and low-contrast (10%) distance visual acuity (VA), logMAR near VA, Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity (CS), colour confusion index (CCI), and the presenting symptoms were compared between the two groups.

There was no significant difference between the proportions of patient with different PCO grade in the two groups. At presentation, high- and low-contrast distance VA were significantly greater in the multifocal group (0.40 vs 0.20; P=0.04 and 0.34 vs 0.98; P=0.006), whereas near VA, CS, and CCI were not significantly different between the two groups. After capsulotomy, the above visual functions were not significantly different between the two groups. Blurred distance and near vision were the most common presenting symptoms (95.8 and 100% in the monofocal group and 88.9 and 66.7% in the multifocal group). A greater proportion of patients in the monofocal group had blurred near vision (100 vs 66.7%) and, whereas the symptoms in the majority of patients in the monofocal group were moderate to severe, they were mild to moderate in the multifocal group.

The effect of PCO on visual function in the two groups seems to be comparable, although patients in the multifocal group appear to present with earlier loss of visual function.