Pseudo-accommodation With Intraocular Lenses Implanted in the Bag

ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To evaluate the accommodation potential in eyes after intraocular lens in-the-bag implantation. METHODS: Fifty-one consecutive patiente were included in the study. Group 1 included 26 eyes that had phacoemulsification with continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and in-the-bag implanted foldable IOL. Twenty-five eyes in Group 2 had capsulotomy with extracapsular cataract extraction and were implanted with polymethylmethacrylate IOL. Time elapsed from surgery was at least 6 months. There was no significant difference for age or gender between groups (P>.05). We measured accommodation amplitude and depth of the anterior chamber at distance and near fixation with an ultrasonic biometry device. The results were compared using the unpaired Student t-test. RESULTS: The anterior chamber depths while fixating at a distant object were not significantly different between groups (P>.05), however, at near the difference was statistically significant (P=.008). The change in depths between far and near fixation was significantly different (P=.002) and was more pronounced in the the capsulorhexis group (P<.001). The accommodation amplitudes in this group were significantly greater than in the capsulotomy group (P=.025). CONCLUSION: Patients who had uncomplicated small incision phacoemulsification surgery with continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and in-the-bag implanted lens seemed to preserve some pseudo-accommodation after surgery. [J Refract Surg 2002;18:271-275]