Incidence of glistenings with the latest generation of yellow-tinted hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of glistenings in a large series of consecutive eyes with a blue light-filtering hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) and the relationship with parameters such as age, sex, follow-up length, and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). SETTING: Service d'Ophtalmologie, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study included 111 eyes of 74 patients (age range 33 to 86 years). All cases had cataract surgery with Acrysof SN60WF monofocal IOL implantation and had a routine postoperative examination between March 2011 and June 2011. The incidence and severity of glistenings were evaluated with the slitlamp. Also evaluated was their relationship with age, sex, follow-up length, IOL power, and CDVA. Glistenings were subjectively graded (0 = absent; 1 = moderate; 2 = dense). RESULTS: Glistenings occurred in 96 eyes (86.5%). Glistenings were of grade 1 severity in 45 eyes (40.5%) and of grade 2 severity in 51 eyes (45.9%). The follow-up was significantly longer in eyes with grade 2 glistenings (P <=.01). A limited, but significant, correlation was found between glistening severity and length of follow-up (r = 0.32, P<.01). Although there was a trend toward decreased visual acuities at higher glistening grades (r = 0.22, P=.01), there were no significant differences in CDVA between the glistening severity groups (P=.14). CONCLUSIONS: Glistenings were common in eyes with the blue light-filtering hydrophobic acrylic IOL and increased over time.