COMPARED OPTICAL PERFORMANCES OF MULTIFOCAL AND MONOFOCAL INTRAOCULARLENSES (CONTRAST SENSITIVITY AND DYNAMIC VISUAL-ACUITY)

The functional results (contrast sensitivity and dynamic visual acuity ) of 19 multifocal (3M design) and 14 all polymethylmethacrylate bicon vex monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs), 6 mm in optical diameter were compared. Best corrected visual acuity was greater than or equal to 8 /10 (Moneyer chart) Parinaud 2 in all cases. Major differences of func tional performance in favour of monofocal IOLs were found outside stan dard conditions of vision (low contrast and illumination levels). A si gnificant difference in contrast sensitivity was found for each spatia l frequency in favour of multifocal IOLs (0.0016 < p < 0.05). Mesopic vision was statistically higher in the monofocal IOL group (p = 0.0015 ). Moreover, dynamic visual acuity allowed accurate evaluation of the difference in performance between these two models of implant. In view of these results multifocal IOLs should be reserved for patients with normal psychosensitive adaptation; an ocular pathology that could alt er contrast sensitivity or mesopic vision is a contraindication for mu ltifocal IOLs.