Visual Performance With Bifocal and Trifocal Diffractive Intraocular Lenses: A Prospective Three-Armed Randomized...

To evaluate and compare quality of vision and reading performance outcomes after implantation of bifocal refractive-diffractive, bifocal apodized diffractive, or trifocal diffractive-refractive intraocular lenses (IOLs).

This randomized, prospective, three-armed multicenter (Spain, Germany, and France) trial included 104 eyes of 52 patients (mean age: 63.2 ± 7.7 years). Patients underwent cataract surgery with bilateral implantation of either AT LISA 809M (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany: AT LISA group, 38 eyes), AT LISA tri 839MP (Carl Zeiss Meditec: AT LISA tri group, 32 eyes), or ReSTOR SN6AD1 (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX: ReSTOR group, 34 eyes) IOLs. Visual and refractive outcomes, depth of focus, and reading performance were evaluated at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

The AT LISA tri group showed significantly better 12-month uncorrected (UIVA) and binocular distance-corrected (DCIVA) intermediate visual acuity (P ≤ .016) than the AT LISA group. The AT LISA tri group showed a significantly better 3-month UIVA compared to the ReSTOR group (P = .042). Binocular uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities were not significantly different among groups (P ≥ .092) at the 12-month follow-up. A total of 85.3%, 90.0%, and 78.1% of eyes had a spherical equivalent within ±0.50 D in the AT LISA, AT LISA tri, and ReSTOR groups, respectively, at 12 months (P = .038). No statistically significant differences between the trifocal and bifocal groups were detected for reading performance (P ≥ .055).

The trifocal diffractive-refractive IOL provides enhanced intermediate visual restoration compared to bifocal diffractive-refractive or apodized diffractive IOLs. The addition of an intermediate focal point did not deteriorate far or near vision. A comparable reading performance was maintained with the trifocal lens. [J Refract Surg. 2017;33(10):655-662.].