Near Visual Performance Results of the Accommodating Intraocular Lens (Tetraflex)® in Comparison to Monofocal Foldable Intraocular Lens

Purpose: To evaluate the near visual performance of an accommodative intraocular lens (IOL); Tetraflex, in comparison to a standard monofocal foldable IOL in cataract surgery. Setting: Eye Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: Forty six eyes of 23 patients with cataract underwent phacoemulsification and accommodative IOL (Tetraflex) implantation bilaterally (case group). The same number of agematched control group were implanted a foldable monofocal IOL bilaterally (control group). Outcome measures were uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UCNVA), manifest refraction, best corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), distance corrected near visual acuity (DCNVA), and the amplitude of accommodation up to 6 months after surgery. Results: The final BCDVA was better than /25 in all eyes. Mean±standard deviation (SD) DCNVA in the accommodative IOL group (0.69±0.25) was significantly higher than monofocal foldable IOL (0.18±0.09) six months following surgery (P<0.001). Eighty nine percent (41 eyes of 46) of the accommodative IOL group achieved DCNVA of /40 or better 6 months after surgery. At 1 month after surgery, mean±SD accommodation in the case group was 3.86±1.11 D compared to 0.27±0.18 D in the control group (P<0.001). Six months after operation, 95.7% of the patients in the case group had 2.5 D or more accommodation compared to a mean of 0.48 D in the control group. Conclusion: The accommodative IOL provides both enhanced near vision and good distance vision 6 month after surgery. It seems that patient's dependence to near add will be decreased and they can have a good range of clear vision.