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New IOL materials, designs may reduce postop optical aberrations
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NICE, France — New IOL materials and designs could reduce the amount of optical aberrations experienced by young eyes, according to Roberto Bellucci, MD.
“We need ways to correct optical aberrations,” said Dr. Bellucci, speaking here at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.
IOLs induce aberrations when loop compression modifies the optic, which happens in IOLs with stiff loops and weak optics, he said. These aberrations are not currently correctable with spherocylindrical spectacle lenses, and for patients with large pupils, aberrations can be a serious problem, he said. “These patients have decreased contrast sensitivity and reduced functional vision,” Dr. Bellucci said.
Some solutions to the problem of optical aberrations are in development, he said. New IOL materials could allow modification of the IOL optic after implantation. This could help not only eyes with “normal” corneas, but also eyes with previous refractive corneal surgery that need customized IOLs, he said.
IOLs currently available have a positive spherical aberration, so that pseudophakic eyes also have increased positive spherical aberrations which reduce contrast sensitivity. “An IOL with negative spherical aberration has been designed by industry,” Dr. Bellucci said. Early clinical trials on the lens seem to confirm the theoretical advantages of this approach, he added.