LONG-TERM STABILITY AND VISUAL OUTCOMES OF A SINGLE-PIECE, FOLDABLE, ACRYLIC INTRAOCULAR LENS FOR SCLERAL FIXATION

Purpose: To report long-term visual outcomes and complications of a new foldable, one-piece, acrylic posterior chamber intraocular lens with closed-loop haptics (C-flex (TM), Rayner, UK) for scleral fixation. Study Design: Retrospective interventional case series of 29 eyes of 29 patients who underwent scleral fixation with the C-flex intraocular lens in the absence of capsular support. Methods: Review of 29 consecutive cases from January 2001 to December 2005 in which scleral fixation was performed with the C-flex intraocular lens. All cases were performed by a single surgeon (S.J.L.) and with an ab externo two-point scleral fixation technique. Preoperative status, intraoperative complications, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Results: Mean best corrected visual acuity improved from 20/150(-1) to 20/40(-1) (P < 0.001) at 1 month and to 20/50(+1) (P < 0.001) at mean follow-up of 41 months. Complications included clinically insignificant decentration [1 (3%)], mild intraoperative vitreous hemorrhage [1 (3%)], postoperative hyphema [2 (7%)], and transient elevated intraocular pressure [2 (7%)]. All complications were mild and resolved without the need for reoperation. Conclusion: Scleral fixation of the closed-loop, foldable, acrylic C-flex intraocular lens appeared to reduce operative time, was associated with minimal postoperative complications, and resulted in long-term visual improvement.