CENTRATION AND FIXATION OF SILICONE INTRAOCULAR LENSES - CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN HUMAN AUTOPSY EYES

Purpose: To analyze centration and fixation of three-piece and one-pie ce silicone intraocular lenses (IOLs) in human autopsy eyes. Setting: Center for Intraocular Lens Research, Medical University of South Caro lina, Charleston. Methods: Thirty eyes among those submitted to the ce nter between 1986 and 1994 were evaluated. The globes were sectioned a t the equatorial plane and photographed from a posterior view. Gross e xamination was performed to determine IOL type, fixation, centration, and additional pathology. The results were compared with those of a co ntrol group of autopsy eyes implanted with one-piece and three-piece p oly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) IOLs. The control group matched the si licone group in patient age, fixation site, and duration of implantati on. Results: Twenty-three eyes (79.3%) had three-piece silicone IOLs a nd 7 eyes (20.7%), one-piece plate IOLs. Average patient age in the th ree-piece group was 77.3 years +/- 6.7 (SD) and in the one-piece group , 74.3 +/- 3.8 years. The 30 IOLs were symmetrically fixated in the ba g. Average decentration of the three-piece and one-piece IOLs did not differ significantly, 0.37 +/- 0.31 mm and 0.26 +/- 0.13 mm, respectiv ely (P = .37). There was also no significant difference in decentratio n between the silicone groups and the PMMA groups (P = .93).Conclusion : Centration and fixation of silicone IOLs were equivalent to those of standard PMMA IOLs.