Phakic IOL shows long-term efficacy for myopia correction

Patients implanted with the Artisan phakic IOL for the correction of moderate to high myopia showed stable refractive outcomes at 10 years follow-up, a retrospective study found. The results indicate that the lens is a predictable and safe refractive surgery option "when strict inclusion criteria for surgery are applied," the study authors noted.

Nayyirih G. Tahzib, MD, and colleagues at Academic Hospital Maastricht, the Netherlands, reviewed the long-term performance of the lens in 89 eyes of 49 patients. At 10 years, the researchers found that spherical equivalent averaged –0.7 D and had not significantly changed from follow-up evaluations at 1 year and 6 years postop. In addition, mean IOP had remained stable at 15.5 mm Hg, and endothelial cell loss averaged –8.86%, according to the study.

Also at the 10-year follow-up, 68.8% of eyes were within 1 D of targeted correction, 31.2% had gained at least one line of best corrected visual acuity and only 2.6% had lost more than two lines. Additionally, 93.3% of eyes achieved 20/40 or better BCVA and 82% achieved at least 20/40 uncorrected vision, the authors reported.

The study is published in the June issue of Ophthalmology.

Advanced Medical Optics markets the Artisan IOL in the United States under the trade name Verisyse.