The Effect of the AcrySof natural lens on glare disability and photostress

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate whether implanting "blue-filtering" yellow intraocular lenses (IOL) could provide a visual benefit in terms of glare disability and photostress recovery.

Design: A case-control study.

Methods: Researchers masked to group assignments tested 58 subjects: 17 with yellow IOLs (AcrySof Natural; SN60WF; Alcon Laboratories Inc, Fort Worth, Texas, USA), 20 with clear IOLs, and 21 phakic controls. Photostress recovery and visual acuity under veiling glare conditions were assessed in a Maxwellian view optical system. Photostress recovery was assessed by measuring the time required to detect a grating stimulus (1 degree diameter) after a 5-second exposure to an intense circular disk (1 degree diameter) of broad-band xenon light. For the veiling glare experiment, subjects fixated on the grating stimulus, and the intensity of a broad-band xenon annulus (the glare source, 10 degrees inner, 12 degrees outer diameter) was adjusted until the grating stimulus was no longer seen.

Results: Subjects with AcrySof Natural (P < .0001) and clear IOLs (P < .035) could withstand significantly more light than the phakic controls. Subjects with the AcrySof Natural lens could withstand significantly more light (P < .02) than subjects with clear IOLs. Photostress recovery was significantly longer for subjects with clear IOLs vs phakic controls (P < .01), but the AcrySof Natural lens was not different from phakic controls (P < .09). Photostress recovery was similar between subjects with clear or AcrySof Natural lens (P < .32).

Conclusion: The AcrySof Natural lens is related to reduced glare disability relative to a clear IOL or phakic controls.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00710996.