Which intraocular lens would ophthalmologists choose for themselves?

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Innovation
• Patient-Specific Care

Background:

• Cataract surgery is evolving with customizable options like presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses (IOLs) and femtosecond lasers.
• Understanding surgeon preferences for their own procedures is crucial for evaluating new technologies and patient care strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine ophthalmologists' personal IOL choices for their own cataract surgery.
• To assess the influence of surgeon demographics, experience, and attitudes on IOL decision-making.
• To evaluate the adoption and surgeon preference for femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and specific IOL types.

Main Methods:

• A 29-question online survey was distributed to senior ophthalmology residents and practicing ophthalmologists.
• 347 responses were collected over one month, with 328 surveys analyzed using statistical tests (chi-square and Fisher's exact).

Main Results:

• For uncorrected astigmatism, 61.3% of surgeons would choose a monofocal IOL for themselves (distance or monovision).
• 60.3% would opt for a toric monofocal lens for astigmatism >1.25 D; only 6.9% would want a femtosecond laser or manual limbal relaxing incision (LRI).
• While 34.6% perform FLACS, only 15.3% would choose it for themselves; 67.7% implant presbyopia-correcting IOLs in patients, and 65.7% prefer toric monofocal IOLs for patients with astigmatism >1.25 D.

Conclusions:

• Ophthalmologists prioritize visual quality and demonstrate risk aversion in their personal surgical choices.
• Surgeons' personal IOL preferences for their own procedures are significantly correlated with their prior surgical experience with patients.