Subjects undergoing cataract surgery with implantation of the AcrySof Natural IOL (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, Tex.) achieved better contrast sensitivity under conditions of veiling glare than subjects receiving a clear IOL, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA) assessed the vision of a total of 58 subjects: 17 with yellow AcrySof Natural IOLs implanted after cataract surgery, 20 with clear IOLs implanted after cataract surgery and 21 control subjects who did not have cataracts.
The yellow-colored AcrySof Natural IOL filters ultraviolet (UV) and high-energy visible light (also called “blue light”), which has been associated with glare.
Two tests were performed:
- Visual acuity under veiling glare conditions. Subjects watched a contrast sensitivity (CS) target while a circular xenon lamp was directed toward their eyes and the intensity of the light was adjusted until the target was no longer visible.
- Photostress recovery. The time required to detect a CS target after a 5-second exposure to an intense circular disk of broad-band xenon light.
In the test of visual acuity under veiling glare, eyes with the AcrySof Natural IOL could withstand significantly more light than eyes with a clear intraocular lens and eyes with a natural lens (no cataracts).
In the photostress test, visual recovery was faster in eyes with natural lenses (no cataracts) than eyes with either type of IOL. Photostress recovery times in eyes with the two types of IOLs were similar.
The researchers concluded the blue-filtering AcrySof Natural IOL is associated with reduced glare disability compared with clear IOLs and control eyes without cataracts.
The AcrySof Natural IOL may be considered a premium intraocular lens and may increase your cataract surgery cost if you choose this lens implant.
The full report of the comparison test (“The effect of the AcrySof Natural lens on glare disability and photostress”) is published in the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Tags: cataract surgery cost, contrast sensitivity, intraocular lenses, IOLs, premium IOL