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Review
. 2009 Oct;106(43):695-702.
doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2009.0695. Epub 2009 Oct 23.

Cataract surgery with implantation of an artificial lens

Thomas Kohnen  1 , Martin Baumeister, Daniel Kook, Oliver K Klaproth, Christian Ohrloff
Affiliations
Review

Cataract surgery with implantation of an artificial lens

Thomas Kohnen et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2009 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Cataract surgery, the most frequently performed operative procedure worldwide, typically concludes with the implantation of an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to correct aphakia (absence of the crystalline lens).

Method: Selective literature review including current regulations, guidelines and recommendations for cataract surgery.

Results: The main symptom of cataract is loss of visual acuity, which usually progresses slowly. It can arise in one eye or both. There is a basic distinction between congenital and acquired cataracts. The probability of developing a cataract rises with age because of biochemical aging processes. The development of a cataract becomes highly likely from the sixth decade of life onward.

Conclusions: As no effective medications for cataract are available at present, its current standard treatment is the removal of the clouded lens. In industrialized countries, this is usually done with ultrasound (phacoemulsification), followed by the implantation of an IOL.

Keywords: artificial lens; cataract; minimally invasive treatment; ophthalmic surgery; visual acuity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age-related (senile) cataract
Figure 2
Figure 2
Measurement of incision size (2.0 mm) after phacoemulsification and microincisional implantation of a one-piece, aspherical acrylate intraocular lens (e17)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Phacoemulsification of the natural ocular lens
Figure 4
Figure 4
Three-piece spherical blue light-filtering intraocular lens (with standard optics), with C-loop haptics
Figure 5
Figure 5
Multifocal aspherical intraocular lens after implantation into the capsular bag (shown with retroillumination and with the pupil dilated). One can see the diffractive ring segments, which project two different foci onto the retina, one for near vision and one for distant vision.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Accommodative aspherical intraocular lens (shown with retroillumination and with the pupil dilated). The photograph shows the special haptics, which are able to bend at a particular position (flexible bending spot) to provide anterior-posterior displacement of the lens as the ciliary muscle contracts and relaxes
Figure 7
Figure 7
Cystoid macular edema, as revealed by optical coherence tomography
Figure 8
Figure 8
Posterior capsule opacification after implantation of a silicon intraocular lens (shown with retroillumination and with the pupil dilated).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Preferring blue light-filtering lenses.
    Hünig S, Hünig G. Hünig S, et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010 Mar;107(9):151; author reply 151.. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2010.0151a. Epub 2010 Mar 5. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010. PMID: 20305772 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

    1. WHO. causes of blindness. http://www.who.int/blindness/causes/en/ 2008.
    1. ESCRS. Prophylaxis of postoperative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery: results of the ESCRS multicenter study and identification of risk factors. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2007;33:978–988. - PubMed
    1. Kohnen T, Allen D, Boureau C, et al. European multicenter study of the AcrySof ReSTOR apodized diffractive intraocularlens. Ophthalmology. 2006;113:578–584. - PubMed
    1. Mester U, Holz F, Kohnen T, et al. Intraindividual comparison of a blue-light filter on visual function: AF-1 (UY) versus AF-1 (UV) intraocularlens. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2008;34:608–615. - PubMed
    1. Pepose JS, Qazi MA, Davies J, et al. Visual performance of patients with bilateral vs combination Crystalens, ReZoom, and ReSTOR intraocular lens implants. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007;144:347–357. - PubMed

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