New light adjustable lenses results

A small German study of light adjustable lenses (LALs) implanted in 10 eyes in 7 patients has produced positive results, according to the lens's manufacturer, Calhoun Vision.

The LAL allows the doctor to adjust and refine the refraction following implantation using a Vision Light Delivery device, which is an ultra light system. Doctors are able to set the refractive correction to suit the specific visual needs of their patient prior to undertaking the final procedure to set the correction.

Published in the May issue of the Journal of Refractive Surgery the Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde in Munich, Germany the initial results, at two weeks postoperatively, before the first light adjustment was made the mean refraction was +0.78 D, ±0.79 D. After the initial adjustment, the mean refraction improved to -0.07 D, ±0.21 D. Four eyes were treated with a second adjustment. At 1 month postoperative, all eyes were within ±0.50 D of the targeted refraction, with a mean uncorrected distance visual acuity of 1.02. All eyes gaining at least two lines of corrected distance visual acuity.

Results presented at ARVOA poster, which was presented by the Optics Laboratory of the University of Murcia and the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital, Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain, at the recent ARVO meeting reported on monovision and asphericity results in patients implanted bilaterally with the LAL. In the monovision study, 8 patients had one eye adjusted for emmetropia with the fellow eye adjusted for myopia. The final mean refraction in the emmetropia eyes ranged from 0.00D to -0.75 D, and in the myopic eyes from -1.75 D to -2.25 D. The researchers pointed out that with the LAL, if a patient could not tolerate monovision, then the treatment could be reversed in the myopic eye and set to emmetropia – something that cannot be done with a non-adjustable IOL.