Purpose: To evaluate peripheral contrast sensitivity in a group of patients implanted with a new type of IOL that was designed to provide better peripheral optics and compared results with a group of patients implanted with a standard IOL.
Methods: A new type of IOLs (ArtIOLs, Voptica SL, Murcia, Spain) with an inverted meniscus shape designed to improve the optical quality of the pseudophakic eye in the periphery were implanted in a group of 87 patients undergoing cataract surgery. A control group of 38 patients were implanted with a standard monofocal IOL as reference. Peripheral refraction was measured using a scanning Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor. Contrast detection thresholds at 45 degrees of visual angle (both horizontally and vertically) were measured psychophysically by means of an adaptive staircase technique, using a 30-arcmin round stimulus 1 m in front of the patient’s eyes.
Results: Patients implanted with ArtIOLs presented a reduced peripheral astigmatism as compared with the control group. At 30 degrees, the average cylinder in the control group was 3 D, dropping to 2 D in the ArtIOL’s group. At 45 degrees, cylinder mean values were 6 D and 3.5 D respectively. In the horizontal meridian, average contrast sensitivity values were 0.07 (SD=0.04) and 0.10 (SD=0.05) for the control and ArtIOL groups respectively. In the vertical meridian, average sensitivity values were 0.06 (SD=0.03) and 0.08 (SD=0.03) for the control and ArtIOL groups respectively. In both directions the differences were statistically significant.
Conclusions: Patients implanted with a new meniscus-shaped IOL present a reduced amount of peripheral astigmatism compared to patients implanted with standard lenses. This improvement in optical quality leads to a better contrast sensitivity measured at 45 degrees of eccentricity.
