Studies concerning straylight, image magnification and phakic IOL implantation

The importance of assessing the role of glare and contrast sensitivity as part
of the quality of vision has increased since cataract and refractive surgery is
increasingly performed worldwide. A safe and effective way to optically correct
high refractive errors is by implanting a phakic intraocular lens (pIOL). But
restoration of excellent visual acuity may not necessarily lead to complete
patient satisfaction if the vision is tinged by troublesome glare. Patients who
have undergone a pIOL implantation may complain about glare and halos. Tahzib
et al. found that 44.1% of patients implanted with an Artisan pIOL complained
about bothersome glare during driving at night. Performing the usual clinical
examinations like visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and slitlamp examination
rarely gives an indication of the cause of the complaints. Most probably, the
patient*s complaints are caused by increased light scattering, which cannot be
detected by the common tests. In 2010 the CEI has defined disability glare as
*the effect of stray light in the eye whereby visibility and visual performance
are reduced*. (CEI Recodification-Ordainmen, Chapter 16, 07/26/2010) Disability
glare is the result of forward intraocular light scatter. Typical straylight
dependent symptoms are against the light facial recognition problems, glare
while driving at night, color and contrast loss.

After pIOL implantation in high myopic patients, visual acuity may increase 1
or 2 lines due to image magnification effects. Furthermore, Paarlberg et al.
found significantly lower (better) straylight values after Artiflex pIOL
implantation compared to pre-operative. In literature, a partial explanation
for better straylight values after refractive surgery is given by the
discontinuation of contact lens wear. Our hypothesis is that image
magnification is a possible (additional) explanation for better straylight
values after pIOL implantation in myopic patients. With this study we want to
investigate possible effects on retinal straylight values caused by image
magnification.

What is the effect of image magnification on straylight values and is there a
correlation between change in straylight values and change in visual acuity
after pIOL (Artisan/Artiflex) implantation.

Cross-sectional study

There are no risks for participating in this study.