Abstract :
Introduction: Early visual rehabilitation and targeting emmetropia using small incisions and foldable IOLs is the main objective of modern cataract surgery, the so termed ‘refractive cataract surgery’. This current single-center prospective study assessed the clinical outcomes and thus patient satisfaction of multifocal IOLs over monofocal IOLs.
Objective: To study visual functions with a refractive –diffractive type multifocal versus monofocal intraocular lenses after phacoemulsification in patients with age related cataract.
Materials and Methods: 40 patients undergoing phacoemulsification for decreased vision due to age related cataract were randomly divided into 2 groups. Patients in group 1 underwent multifocal IOL [refractive –diffractive type] implantation and patients in group 2 underwent confocal IOL implantation.
Postoperatively, patients were followed up for 90 days and assessed for unaided visual acuity for distance, intermediate and near vision, contrast sensitivity using Pelli-robson chart.
Results: At the end of the study, uncorrected visual acuity for distance (UDVA) was 6/9 in 65% patients in group 1 while 50% had uncorrected visual acuity of 6/9 in group 2. Uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UIVA) in group 1 was N10 or better in 55% patients while in group 2, 75% patients had N24. Uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) in group 1 was N6 in 35% patients and N8 in 35% while in group 2, 75% patients had N18 vision, A paramount statistical difference was seen in the two groups.(p=0.001). The mean contrast sensitivity in group 1 was 2.04 /-0.23 and group 2 was 2.20 /-0.07(although statistically
significant but within normal limits). None of the patients in any group had any significant complaint of glare or haloes.
Conclusion: Mutifocal IOLs decrease the spectacle dependence of patients without compromising the subjective visual functions.
Keyword :
Monofocal IOL, Multifocals, Phacoemulsification, Visual Functions.