Initial clinical studies with silicone intraocular implants

Initial clinical studies with 117 silicone implants are presented. Techniques of implantation including flat insertion, bar-style folder, and syringe-style inserter are discussed. Visual results were compared with results after polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) lens implantation and were equal if not better. Eliminating patients with preoperative pathology, best corrected visual results of 20/40 or better occurred in 96% of eyes with silicone implants and 88% with PMMA implants. Complications included "Z" dislocations because of inadvertent haptic placement in the bag and one case of severe uveitis and common transient pigment in the anterior chamber. In 37.5% of cases, posterior capsular opacities significant enough to require YAG laser capsulotomy occurred.