[Contrast vision and contrast sensitivity after binocular implantation of multifocal or monofocal intraocular lenses]

Multifocal intraocular lenses show a reduction of contrast due to the simultaneous projection of different images to the retina. In this study we examined if there is also a loss of contrast in bilateral implantation of multifocal lenses.

We examined 22 patients with bilateral AMO ARRAY multifocal intraocular lens and compared these to 20 patients with bilateral monofocal intraocular lens. We performed a monocular and binocular examination of contrast acuify by means of Regan's contrast charts and contrast sensitivity by means of B-VAT-II-SG-Video-acuity-tester.

Monocular examination of contrast acuity showed significant superiority of the monofocal intraocular lens at the lowest contrast. Bilateral examination of contrast acuity did not show any significant difference. Monocular contrast sensitivity of the monofocal intraocular lens was significantly superior to the multifocal intraocular lens at two spatial frequencies, but under the bilateral condition there was only a significant difference between the two lenses at the highest spatial frequency.

Bilateral implantation of multifocal intraocular lenses enables contrast acuity and contrast sensitivity that comes very close to the performance of the monofocal intraocular lenses.