Posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens to correct myopia: long-term follow-up.

PURPOSE To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of a refractive phakic intraocular lens (pIOL) (PRL) to correct moderate to high myopia. SETTING Department of Ophthalmology, University Medicine Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS Uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities, refraction, intraocular pressure, endothelial cell loss, and adverse events were evaluated. RESULTS The study enrolled 53 eyes (mean spherical equivalent [SE] -12.17 diopters [D] ± 4.12 [SD]) of 29 patients. The mean age was 34.6 ± 9.2 years and the mean follow-up, 86 ± 21.2 months. The mean UDVA improved from 1.37 ± 0.28 logMAR preoperatively to 0.14 ± 0.19 logMAR at the last postoperative visit (P<.05). The mean CDVA improved from 0.10 ± 0.18 logMAR to -0.01 ± 0.09 logMAR (P<.05). The overall mean efficacy index and mean safety index were 0.9 and 1.21, respectively, at the last follow-up visit. The mean endothelial cell loss at the last follow-up was 6.4%. The complications were slight posterior chamber (PC) pIOL decentration (5 eyes, 9.4%), severe PC pIOL decentration resulting in pIOL removal (1 eye, 1.8%), glaucoma (4 eyes, 7.5%), clinically significant cortical lens opacification resulting in cataract surgery (4 eyes, 7.5%), clinically asymptomatic anterior subcapsular cataract formation (6 eyes, 11.3%), and retinal detachment (2 eyes, 3.8%). CONCLUSIONS Posterior chamber phakic pIOL implantation to correct moderate to high myopia provided predictable and stable refractive results but with a high rate of serious complications over the long term. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.