Aqueous flare induced by heparin-surface-modified poly(methyl methacrylate) and acrylic lenses implanted through the same-size incision in patients with diabetes

Purpose: To compare the degree of blood-aqueous barrier (BAB) breakdown in eyes of diabetic patients after phacoemulsification and implantation of hep arin-surface-modified poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or soft hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses (IOLs) performed using the same technique with t he same incision size to determine the influence of the IOLs on postoperati ve inflammation independent of other surgical factors. Settings: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Paris XIII, Bobigny, F rance. Methods: In a prospective study, 44 eyes of 31 diabetic patients with or wi thout mild to I moderate diabetic retinopathy were randomly assigned to rec eive an HSM PMMA IOL (22 eyes) or a soft hydrophobic acrylic IOL (22 eyes) after standardized phacoemulsification surgery. Both types of IOLs had a 6. 0 mm optic, were inserted unfolded, and were placed in the bag through a ca libered 6.0 mm superior scleral incision. Anterior chamber flare was measur ed preoperatively and 1, 7, 30, and 240 days postoperatively using the Kowa 500 laser Rare meter. Results: The mean flare value was higher on the first postoperative day in both groups. There were no statistically significant between-group differen ces in flare scores: or clinical parameters preoperatively or at any postop erative visit. II Conclusions: No significant difference was observed in inflammation between eyes having HSM PMMA IOL implantation or those having soft hydrophobic acr ylic IOL implantation through the same-size incision. This indicates that h ydrophobic acrylic and HSM PMMA materials induce the same degree of BAB bre akdown after phacoemulsification in eyes of diabetic patients. J Cataract R efract Surg 2001; 27:855-860 (C) 2001 ASCRS and ESCRS.