POSTERIOR CAPSULE OPACIFICATION AND NEODYMIUM-YAG CAPSULOTOMY WITH HEPARIN-SURFACE-MODIFIED INTRAOCULAR LENSES

Purpose: To compare the effect of heparin-surface-modified (HSM) and c onventional unmodified poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) intraocular le nses (IOLs) on the formation posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Se tting: Department of Ophthalmology, Vejle Hospital Denmark. Methods: T his prospective, randomized, double-blind study comprised 250 eyes of 246 patients who had uneventful extracapsular cataract extraction in o therwise healthy eyes with implantation of a biconvex IOL or a convex- piano lens with a continuous laser ridge. Patients were examined once a year for 3 years, at which time the degree of PCO was recorded. A ne odymium:YAG laser capsulotomy was performed if certain criteria were m et. Results: The incidence of PCO was statistically significantly high er in eyes with an HSM convex-plano laser-ridge IOL than in those with an unmodified convex-plano lens (P < .005). There were no significant differences between any other groups. Conclusion: The incidence of PC O was higher in eyes with an HSM convex-plano IOL with a laser ridge.