Post operative opacification of polymethylmethacrylate, hydrophilic and hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses: A retrospective observational study

Abstract

: To evaluate post-operative opacification of hydrophobic, hydrophilic and polymethylmethacrylate intraocular lenses. We had performed a retrospective observational study on twenty-one patients in tertiary care hospital of North India and a private clinic from March 2020-January 2021. History of systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, gout, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was noted. We had also evaluated the patients for ophthalmic conditions like recurrent uveitis, retinal surgery, paracentesis for hyphema, open globe injury repair. The diagnosis of intraocular lens opacification was made on careful slit lamp examination. The patients with severe loss of visual acuity had undergone intraocular lens exchange procedure. The explanted intraocular lenses were sent for light microscopy with special stain and scanning electron microscopy. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 21 (SPSS, Inc.) We found that mean age of patients with intraocular lens opacification was 62.5±6.82 years. The occurrence was 16(76.19%) in hydrophilic IOL, 4(19.05%) in hydrophobic IOL and only one (4.76%) was PMMA IOL which showed that the occurrence if IOL opacification is more in hydrophilic IOL. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the explanted IOLs did not show any deposits over IOL surface. Special stains were used and it was noted that Alizarin red was positive while Von Kossa for calcium was negative. We concluded that intraocular lens opacification can occur in any type of intraocular lens, but is predominantly seen with hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses. Also we came to a conclusion that various ophthalmic pathologies and systemic comorbidities accelerated the process of opacification.