Angle-supported phakic intraocular lenses in hyperopia

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of angle-supported phakic intraocular lenses (PIOLs) in hyperopia. SETTING: Private practice, Siena, Italy. METHODS: A prospective noncomparative single-surgeon interventional case series comprised 42 consecutive hyperopic eyes of 22 patients having implantation of a type PIOL (Morcher) through a sclero-corneal 5.5 mm x 3.0 mm tunnel along the steepest meridian, with surgical iridectomy. The mean preoperative defocus equivalent (DEQ) was 7.30 diopters (D) +/- 1.89 (SD). The mean spherical equivalent (SE) was 6.61 +/- 1.47 D (range 4.0 to 10.5 D), and the mean refractive astigmatism was 1.51 +/- 1.33 D (range 0 to 5 D). The mean age was 29.9 +/- 6.0 years (range 22 to 42 years). Thirteen patients (59%) were men. RESULTS: Postoperative mean SE was 0.38 +/- 0.52 D (range 0 to 2 D); mean DEQ 0.93 +/- 0.98 D; mean astigmatism 0.95 +/- 1.17 D; mean surgically induced astigmatism (vector analysis) 0.67 +/- 0.58 D (95% confidence interval, 0.49-0.85); 38 eyes (90%) were within +/-2 D of DEQ, 34 eyes (81%) within +/-1 D, and 24 eyes (57%) within +/-0.5 D. Safety index was 1.05; efficacy index 0.85. Complications were night halos 10%; pupil ovalization 7%; pupillary block reversed by neodymium:YAG laser 7%; monocular anterior subcapsular opacity 5%; monocular iridocyclitis 5%; and intraocular pressure rise due to topical steroids 2%. Endothelial cell loss at 12 month was 6% (range +2.5% to -11%). CONCLUSION: High hyperopia was corrected safely and predictably by an angle-supported PIOL with limited complications.