Scanning electron microscopic evaluation of posterior chamber intraocular lenses

A great variety of Intraocular Lenses (IOLs) made by various manufacturers are now available to the Implant Surgeon. The Surgeon must decide which IOLs are better than others, and be aware of physical characteristics of IOLs that would be potentially dangerous to the intraocular structures. The Scanning Electron-Microscope (SEM) is now recognised as a powerful tool in providing detailed information of the physical characteristics of Intraocular lenses. We randomly selected five posterior chamber intraocular lenses from each of five different manufacturers and subjected them to scanning with the SEM to evaluate their physical qualities as well as to assess the consistency of manufacture. Striking differences in quality of finish of the intraocular lenses were revealed. The consistency of quality of good or of defective characteristics was high amongst manufacturers.