The Effects of Blue-Light Filtering Intraocular Implants on Glare Geometry

One common complaint with natural opacified lenses is the deleterious effects of higher-order ocular aberrations and intraocular scatter, such as halos and starbursts, which are not always remedied with surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Blue-light filtering (BLF) IOL filter scatter-prone short-wave light. Here, we determine whether BLF IOL reduce halo and starburst size.

This study was a case-control design, between- and within-subjects (contralateral implantation). Sixty-nine participants with either the BLF IOL (n = 25; AlconSN60AT), clear IOL (n = 24; AlconSA60AT or WF), or both (n = 20) IOL participated. Participants were exposed to a point source of broadband simulated sunlight, which created the appearance of halos/starbursts. Dysphotopsia was measured as the diameter of broadband light-induced halos and starbursts.

A case-control analysis. Halo size was significantly larger (t[35.05] = 2.98, p = 0.005) in participants with the clear control lens (M = 3°55' ± 2°48'), compared to the BLF IOL (M = 1°84' ± 1°34'). Starburst size was not significantly different between groups. Contralateral analysis. Halo size was significantly smaller (t = -3.89, p = .001) in test eyes with the BLF (M = 3°16' ± 2°35') compared to the fellow control eyes (M = 5°42' ± 3°17'). Starburst size was also significantly smaller (t = -2.60, p < 0.018) in BLF test eyes (M = 9°57' ± 4°25') than the fellow eye with the clear IOL (M = 12°33' ± 5°25').

BLF IOL filter short-wave light and mimic retinal screening by the young, natural crystalline lens. Such filtering can reduce some deleterious effects of bright light by decreasing ocular diffusion/halos and starbursts.