Sensar lens produces good seal with capsule

Eyes show good visual acuity and low PCO rates.

BOSTON — The Sensar (Allergan, Irvine, Calif.) achieves good visual acuity and low posterior capsule opacification (PCO) rates, and a slight tackiness that produces a good seal with the capsule, said Tobias Neuhann, MD, of Munich, Germany.

He prospectively studied the lens in a fellow eye study comparing it with two other IOL models to learn the advantages of the IOL, which he implanted in Germany in 1997. He discussed his results at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.

The Sensar AR40 is a cross-linked copolymer of methacrylate/acrylate esters. It has an ultraviolet blocker. It has a 6-mm optic and lens diameter of 13 mm with c-loop PMMA haptics. It has a refractive index of 1.47.

Dr. Neuhann started the study in July 1997 with 44 patients. In this series, 22 Sensar lenses were implanted with forceps and 22 were implanted with the injector. In some lenses implanted with forceps, a “sterile dirt” was imprinted on the tacky surface of the Sensar, he said.

The imprint will disappear slowly, but at 30 months postoperatively, some lenses still showed an imprint from the forceps. While it has an unattractive appearance when viewed through the slit lamp, he said it caused no visual acuity problems.

PCO rates

By July 1999, five patients had died and another eight were not available for follow-up. This left 31 patients, whose average age was 72.6±2.86 years.

Dr. Neuhann implanted the Sensar in patients’ first eyes, and then sought a comparison lens. The AcrySof (Alcon, Fort Worth, Texas) is the only other hydrophobic lens, and they are very close chemically, Dr. Neuhann said. He used the AcrySof lens in 16 companion eyes, and also implanted the MemoryLens (CIBA Vision, Duluth, Ga.) in the other 15 companion eyes.

In the series of 31 eyes, 28 patients achieved 20/40 or better visual acuity. There was no corneal edema or progressive endothelial cell loss, even in eyes with corneal guttata. At 30 months, there was no decentration, vacuoles (glistenings) or edge glare. Lens epithelial growth was not evident after 5 months postoperatively.

Of the 31 eyes implanted with Sensar lenses, eight (25.8%) required YAG treatments. Of the companion lenses, 13 of 15 MemoryLens IOLs (86.67%) and four of 16 AcrySof lenses (25%) required YAG treatments.

Visual acuity

While 11 of 33 patients had 20/20 best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) at 12 months, 18 of 31 patients had 20/20 BSCVA at 30 months.

Dr. Neuhann said the 20/20 vision group was the only one in which more patients achieved that level of acuity at 30 months than at 12 months.

Nine patients had 20/25 BSCVA at 12 months, while five patients had that level of BSCVA at 30 months.

Five patients had 20/30 BSCVA at 12 months, while two had 20/30 BSCVA at 30 months.

Three patients had 20/40 BSCVA at 12 months, while two patients had BSCVA at 30 months.

Finally, five patients had less than 20/50 BSCVA at 12 months, while four had less than 20/50 BSCVA at 30 months.

“The lens has excellent biocompatibility, which reduces the postoperative inflammation we have seen up to now,” Dr. Neuhann said. “There is a slight tackiness of the lens surface, which seems to produce a good seal with the posterior capsule.”

For Your Information:

Tobias Neuhann, MD, can be reached at Marienplatz 18, Munich, 80331, Germany; (49) 89-230-8890; fax: (49) 89-230-88910. Dr. Neuhann has no direct financial interest in any of the products mentioned in this article, nor is he a paid consultant for any companies mentioned.

Alcon can be reached at 6201 South Freeway, Fort Worth, TX 76134; (800) 862-5266; fax: (817) 241-0677.

Allergan Inc. can be reached at 2525 Dupont Drive, Irvine, CA 92612; (800) 366-6554; fax: (800) 752-7006.

CIBA Vision can be reached at 11460 Johns Creek Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097-1556; (678) 415-3646; (678) 415-3592.