Major clinical considerations of the use of hydrophobic intraocular lenses in patients with cataracts: a brief systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Every year about 1 to 2 million people become blind and the number of blind people is predicted to reach 90 million in 2020. A cataract is the biggest cause of blindness in the world, except in developed countries. It accounts for 47.8% of the world's cases of blindness. A cataract is a name given to any opacity of the lens, which does not necessarily affect vision, with phacoemulsification being the main choice of treatment, which consists of a posterior aspiration of the emulsified material. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate, through a systematic review, the visual acuity, with less recourse to correction, in patients undergoing phacoemulsification with bilateral implants of hydrophobic lenses. Methods: The systematic review rules of the PRISMA Platform were followed. The literature search was carried out from July to August 2022 in Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, and Google Scholar databases. Scientific articles from the last 3 years were selected. The quality of the studies was based on the GRADE instrument. The risk of bias was analyzed according to the Cochrane instrument. Results and Conclusion: A total of 23 articles were included in this study, with 6 articles being from the main current clinical studies on the use of intraocular lenses. Both PCO value and Nd: YAG capsulotomy rates were higher in the hydrophobic acrylic IOL group than in the long-term use silicone (intraocular lens) IOL group (more than 6 years) after implantation. This study indicates excellent postoperative visual acuity and refractive results in the eyes following implantation of the EyeCee® One. This is accompanied by a very little risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications. Furthermore, the Aktis SP IOL is a safe, effective, and stable lens that can be inserted through a 2.2 mm incision with satisfactory visual and refractive results, even in the late postoperative period. Therefore, by analyzing the histopathological composition of PCO using LECs, more information can be gained about the characteristics of IOLs that are important for biocompatibility. Finally, patients implanted with trifocal IOLs showed a significant improvement in visual acuity at different distances, providing broad absolute and relative depth of field values, with good patient satisfaction rates.