Comparison of wavefront aberrations and optical quality of eyes implanted with five different intraocular lenses.

Abstract

We compared corneal and total higher order wavefront aberrations in 25 pseudophakic eyes implanted with five different types of intraocular lenses to obtain an objective evaluation of the optical quality of these pseudophakic eyes. Five IOLs per type were studied. Implanted lenses were the Pharmacia Tecnis Z9000 with negative spherical aberration, Pharmacia 911 Edge, Alcon Acrysof SA60AT and MA60BM, and Allergan Sensar AR40e. Eyes were examined using the Topcon KR-9000PW topographer/aberrometer, which obtains simultaneous coaxial measurements of corneal and ocular aberrations, and displays the calculated Point Spread Function (PSF) and Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). Corneal spherical aberration was positive in all tested eyes. For a 4-mm optical zone, ocular spherical aberration was 0.0054+/-0.0172 microm root-mean-square (RMS) in eyes implanted with the Tecnis lens, and was 0.0562 to 0.0974 microm RMS in eyes implanted with the four other conventional IOLs. A myopic refractive shift with mydriasis of -0.08 D occurred with the Tecnis IOL; it was -0.57 to -0.90 D with the conventional IOLs. Coma did not show a substantial reduction with any of the IOLs. Total wavefront aberrations showed nonsignificant reduction with the Tecnis lens. The PSF and the MTF also showed nonsignificant improvements over conventional IOLs. The optical quality of pseudophakic eyes can be measured in vivo by aberrometers. Different IOLs resulted in measurably different outcomes. In this preliminary study, compensation of the spherical aberration observed with the Tecnis lens confirmed the theoretical predictions associated with this lens and resulted in no myopic shift in refraction with mydriasis.