Correlation between intraocular lens hydrophilicity and anterior capsule opacification and aqueous flare

Purpose: To study the correlation between a basic parameter of intraocular lens biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and two clinical parameters, postoperative inflammation and anterior capsule opacification. Setting: Miyake Eye Hospital, Nagoya, Japan. Methods: Three combinations of IOLs that were identical in shape but had distinct contact angles of water were used in this prospective double-masked study: (1) experimental comparison of collagen type IV and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) IOLs in rabbit eyes; (2) clinical comparison of heparin-surface-modified and PMMA IOLs; (3) clinical comparison of three foldable IOLs, silicone, acrylic, and memory. One of the two IOLs being compared in each situation was randomly assigned to both eyes of each animal or patient. At 1 and 3 months postoperatively, the degree of anterior capsule opacification and the amount of flare in the anterior chamber were determined. Results: In all three comparative situations, greater postoperative inflammation and more rapid anterior capsule opacification was seen in the eyes with hydrophobic IOLs. Conclusion: There was a correlation between the hydrophilicity of an IOL and the severity of postoperative inflammation and the speed of anterior capsule opacification.