NEODYMIUM-YAG CAPSULOTOMY RATES AFTER PHACOEMULSIFICATION WITH SILICONE POSTERIOR CHAMBER INTRAOCULAR LENSES

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the incidence of neodymium:YAG (N d:YAG) laser capsulotomies for posterior capsule opacification (PCO) i n eyes receiving one of two types of capsular-bag-fixated silicone pos terior chamber intraocular lenses (IOLs) over 7 years. Setting: John M oran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Methods: Four hun dred eighty-eight eyes that had cataract extraction with a continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and implantation of one of two kinds of sili cone posterior chamber IOLs were evaluated to assess the incidence of PCO. One hundred thirty-nine received a one-piece, plate-type IOL (Sta ar) and 349, a three-piece, modified C-loop IOL (AMO). Results: With a n average follow-up of 84.3 weeks in the Staar IOL group and 93.5 week s in the AMO IOL group, the incidence of posterior Nd:YAG laser capsul otomy for PCO was 30.2% and 39.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The incid ence of Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy after phacoemulsification with implan tation of a silicone posterior chamber IOL was still relatively high w ith long-term follow-up. Although the proportion of patients with a on e-piece silicone IOL requiring Nd:YAG capsulotomy was less than that i n the three-piece silicone IOL group, the difference was not statistic ally significant.