Purpose: A retrospective comparison of temporal changes to the capsulorhexis opening using femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) with hydrophilic and hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses (IOL) was performed.
Subjects and methods: This study included 36 eyes from 36 patients (hydrophilic group) who underwent FLACS with LenSx^Ⓡ (Alcon) followed by implantation of PODFT (PhysIOL), a hydrophilic acrylic IOL, and 26 eyes of 26 patients (hydrophobic group) for whom ZMB00/ZLB00 (Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision), a hydrophobic acrylic IOL, was used. The area of the incision was calculated by referring the diameter of the first zone of the diffraction grating from the transillumination images taken 1 week and 1 and 6 months after surgery, and the rate of contraction of the capsulorhexis opening (anterior capsular contraction) at 1 and 6 months after surgery from 1 week was calculated.
Results: The rate of anterior capsular contraction (%) was 7.9±17.3 and 0.01±6.3 in the hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups, respectively, at 1 month and 7.0±18.6 and 3.6±10.2 at 6 months, showing significantly higher values in the hydrophilic group 1 month after surgery (p=0.02). There were no significant changes in the rate of anterior capsular contraction at 1 and 6 months after surgery in either group. At 6 months after surgery, the percentage of patients with ≥ 20% shrinkage was 25.0% in the hydrophilic group and 0.0% in the hydrophobic group, indicating significantly higher values in the hydrophilic group (p=0.03).
Conclusion: With hydrophilic acrylic IOLs, a marked contraction of ≥ 20% of the capsulorhexis opening after FLACS is likely to be seen, and this appears to be related to differences in IOL materials and the effects of FLACS.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 125: 586-590, 2021.