Quantitative analysis of posterior capsule opacification of hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) remains a common complication of modern cataract surgery, although both modification of materials used and changes in the intraocular lens (IOL) optic edge design have helped to decrease its incidence slightly. Recently, various kinds of quantitative methods have been developed for measuring PCO. The purpose of this study was to compare the quantitative analysis of PCO between different types of IOL designs. Patients enrolled in the study had age-related cataract and underwent uneventful cataract surgery and implantation of either the AcrySof MA30BA (Alcon) or the Sensor AR40e (AMO), which are differently designed hydrophobic acrylic IOLs with a sharp-edged optic design. Postoperative examination was performed at 6 months. Retroillumination photographs of each eye were obtained, and the degree of PCO was assessed using the Evaluation of Posterior Capsule Opacification (EPCO) system. Grade 1 PCO was noted in both the MA30BA and the AR40e groups. There was no significant difference in the mean PCO score between the MA30BA and AR40e groups. Although the sharp-edged optic designs of both IOLs might similarly inhibit PCO at 6 months, a long-term follow-up period is needed to determine if any PCO differences occur between these 2 hydrophobic acrylic IOLs.