Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the progression of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) after poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), silicone, and acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.
Setting: Hayashi Eye Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
Methods: Three hundred eyes of 300 patients scheduled to have IOL implantation were initially randomized into 3 groups based on IOL type: PMMA, silicone, or acrylic. Of the 300 eyes, 269 completed the follow-up. The PCO density in these eyes was measured 1 week and 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively using special computer software developed for the Scheimpflug videophotography system. Visual acuity and the incidence of neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy were also examined.
Results: Three months postoperatively and later, the mean PCO value in the PMMA group increased significantly (P <.0001); the increase in the silicone and acrylic groups was not significant. The PCO value in the PMMA group was significantly greater than in the silicone or acrylic group (P <.0001). The PCO value in the acrylic group was slightly less than in the silicone group at 18 and 24 months, but the difference was marginal. The survival rate not requiring Nd:YAG capsulotomy was least in the PMMA group, followed by the silicone and acrylic groups in that order (P <.0001). The mean logMAR visual acuity in the PMMA group increased postoperatively and was worse than in the silicone or acrylic group.
Conclusions: The degree of PCO after PMMA IOL implantation progressed significantly with time, while the progression after silicone and acrylic IOL implantation was slight. Therefore, PCO in eyes with a PMMA IOL was significantly more extensive than in those with a silicone or acrylic IOL and resulted in marked impairment of visual acuity.