The Implementation of Glasses-free 3D Display in ICL Surgery: A Pilot Study

To compare the efficacy and safety of the glasses-free three-dimensional (3D) display and conventional optical microscope in Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL; STAAR Surgical) surgery.This randomized controlled trial enrolled 51 eyes of 26 patients who received ICL surgery. After random allocation, patients received surgery under either a glasses-free 3D display (16 eyes) or a conventional optical microscope (35 eyes). The surgical duration, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), intraocular pressure, vault, postoperative manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), and complications were evaluated.Mean surgical time was 5.04 ± 2.74 minutes for the glasses-free 3D group and 4.65 ± 2.63 minutes for the conventional microscope group (P = .639). Postoperative UDVA was -0.02 ± 0.04 and -0.04 ± 0.05 logMAR (P = .169), CDVA was -0.03 ± 0.04 and -0.02 ± 0.05 logMAR (P = .434), and IOP was 17.01 ± 3.15 and 14.82 ± 2.20 mm Hg (P = .055) at 1 month of follow-up, respectively. Vault was 562.86 ± 192.89 and 520.18 ± 215.19 µm, and MRSE was +0.25 ± 0.21 and +0.10 ± 0.51 diopters, respectively, at 1 month postoperatively; all were comparable between the glasses-free 3D group and conventional microscope group (all P > .05). No complication occurred in both groups.The glasses-free 3D group achieved similar efficacy and safety compared to the conventional microscope group, and glasses-free 3D surgery is expected to show a significant advantage in clinical and medical education. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(9):612-619.].