Postoperative Membranous Proliferation Outgrowth Onto The Anterior Surface Of Hydrophobic Acrylic Intraocular Lenses

1. Ying Lin
2. Yizhi Liu
3. Xialin Liu
4. Lixia Luo
5. Qian Chen

Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the correlation factors and features of membranous outgrowth onto the anterior surface of hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses.

METHODS: This study included 145 eyes from 135 consecutive patients who had cataract surgery with implantation of a single-piece, foldable, hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens (SA60AT, Alcon) from January 1 to April 1, 2010. All studies of the patients were performed with the approval of the center's hospital ethics committee. Postoperatively, the IOL optic was examined by slit-lamp microscopy at 1 week and1 month to determine the incidence, extent, and correlation factors of membranous proliferation with SPSS13. The variables assessed included age, gender, right vs left eye, preoperative visual acuity, ultrasound total time, ultrasound total equivalent power, postoperative visual acuity, ocular axial length, diopter of the IOL and grade of anterior vitreous opacity.

RESULTS: 121 remaining eyes were studied. Membranous proliferation was documented in 46 (38.02%) of the pseudophakic eyes. Furthermore, the incidence of membranous outgrowth was greater in pseudophakic eyes characterized by older age (OR:112;P=0.0018, shorter axial length (OR:0.29;P=0.0276), and more serious anterior segment vitreous opacity (OR:11.11; P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: Shorter axial length, older age, serious anterior segment vitreous opacity, and the inferior and nasal quadrants are risk factors for membranous proliferation on the IOL surface.