Objective assessment of inflammation after cataract surgery: comparison of 3 similar intraocular lens models

To compare postoperative inflammation in patients receiving 1 of 3 AcrySof intraocular lenses (IOLs): MA60AC (Group 1), SA60AT (Group 2), or SN60AT (Group 3).

Service d'Ophtalmologie, Université Paris Descartes Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France.

This prospective randomized 3-month study included eyes that received 1 of the 3 IOL models with standard surgery and postoperative care. Anterior chamber cells were assessed at the slitlamp and anterior chamber flare values, with a Kowa 500 flare meter.

Fifty-nine patients (59 eyes) with a mean age of 72.7 years were evaluated. Group 1 and Group 2 comprised 20 eyes each and Group 3, 19 eyes. No eye had anterior chamber cells at baseline. In all 3 groups, the presence of anterior chamber cells was highest 1 week postoperatively and generally decreased at subsequent visits, with no statistically significant differences between IOL groups at 1 week (P = .2655), 1 month (P = .073), or 3 months (P = .5766). A similar proportion of eyes in each IOL group had residual cells in the anterior chamber at 3 months; the cells were not clinically significant. In all groups, the mean flare values were low (<11 photons/ms) at baseline (P = .4522) and statistically similar between groups at each subsequent visit (P>or=.2801). There were no adverse events.

The 3 IOLs models, including the blue light-filtering model, had similar anterior chamber cells and flare values over a 3-month period, showing the lack of difference in inflammation induced by cataract surgery with implantation of the 3 similar IOL models.