Pre-loaded IOL allows ease of delivery

"Promising results are being achieved in early experience using a pre-loaded, heparincoated, hydrophobic, acrylic, three-piece IOL (EC-1Y HPI, Aaren Scientific)," said Dr Georgina Rosca, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

The new lens has design features that aim to optimize visual performance, safety, and intraocular stability as well as to prevent posterior capsule opacification. It is constructed of a yellowtinted (blueblocking), highpurity hydrophobic acrylic polymer and made with a proprietary cryolathing process with no glistenings.

Injection technique

Dr Rosca presented a video demonstrating the injection technique and highlighted outcomes from 91 consecutive eyes of 62 patients undergoing cataract surgery. Phacoemulsification and IOL delivery were done through a 2.2 mm incision. Dr Rosca and her colleague, Dr Jean Michael Bosc, performed all of the surgeries.

"Small preparations are necessary when implanting this IOL," Dr Rosca said, narrating the video. "First, the surgeon must remove the clip from the cartridge.

"Next, the plunger is depressed until a click is heard," she said. "After retracting the cartridge winglock, the surgeon presses down on the lens while closing the cartridge.

"Wound-assisted injection is very easy, and once delivered, the IOL opens easily," she said. "After viscoelastic is removed from the eye, we have found the IOL achieves good centration."

Patients in the retrospective study had a mean age of 78 months and females outnumbered males by about 2:1. After 6 months of followup, bestcorrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/30 or better in 85% of eyes, and spherical equivalent was within 1 D of plano in 88% of eyes.

"We had no exclusion criteria for enrolling patients in our retrospective study," Dr Rosca said. "Eyes that did not achieve BCVA of 20/30 or refraction closer to plano were affected by retinal problems or had astigmatism over 1 D."

There were no perioperative complications, including no cases of toxic anterior segment syndrome or cystoid macular edema. During the available follow-up, a single eye has undergone Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy. Evaluations at the slit lamp show the lens remained well centered and clear, without any development of glistenings or vacuoles. There have been no cases of Z syndrome due to capsular bag contraction, Dr Rosca noted.