HEPARIN SURFACE-MODIFIED INTRAOCULAR LENSES IN PATIENTS WITH INACTIVEUVEITIS OR DIABETES

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether heparin surface-modif ied (HSM) intraocular lenses (IOLs) with a hydrophilic surface would r educe cell adherence and other postoperative changes compared with the conventional polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) IOLs in patients with eith er diabetes mellitus or inactive uveitis. Design: The study design was a randomized, double-masked, clinical trial. Participants: Twenty-fiv e patients with bilateral cataracts, 14 with inactive anterior uveitis and 11 with diabetes, with an age range of 11 to 81 years (mean, 52.8 years) participated. Intervention: Bilateral cataract extraction with posterior chamber IOL implantation was measured, each patient receivi ng an HSM lens in one eye and a PMMA lens in the other. Pharmacia one- piece HSM and PMMA IOLs were used. Postoperative ocular changes were e valuated at regular intervals for 24 months in patients with inactive uveitis and for 6 months in patients with diabetes. Patients and physi cians alike were unaware of which eye contained which lens until posto perative results were compiled. Records were kept by a study coordinat or. Main Outcome Measures: Comparisons of posterior synechiae, IOL cel lular deposits, and posterior capsular fibrosis between PMMA and HSM I OLs were measured. Results: Using the chi-square test, no statisticall y significant difference was found between the HSM and PMMA IOLs in th e number of cellular deposits found on the anterior IOL surface, the n umber of adhesions between the iris and IOL, or the incidence of capsu lar opacification. Conclusion: The HSM and PMMA IOLs showed similar po stoperative results in with inactive uveitis or diabetes mellitus.