Bimanual microincision cataract surgery with implantation of the new Incise® MJ14 intraocular lens through a 1.4 mm incision

AIM: To analyze the visual outcomes and the posterior capsule opacification (PCO) with the new Incise (R) MJ14 intraocular lens (IOL) implanted through a 1.4 mm clear corneal incision (CCI) in patients who underwent bimanual microincision cataract surgery (B-MICS). METHODS: Eighty eyes which underwent cataract surgery using B-MICS technique performed by the same experienced surgeon were included in the study: 40 eyes were implanted with an Incise (R) MJ14 IOL through a 1.4 mm CCI (group A) without enlargement of the main CCI, while 40 eyes were implanted with an Akreos (R) MI60 IOL with enlargement of the main CCI to 1.8 mm (group B). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), astigmatism and endothelial cell loss were evaluated before and after surgery at 7, 30d and 6mo. Anterior segment-optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) of CCI was performed at 1, 3, 7, 30d, 6 and 18mo. PCO incidence was evaluated at 18mo using EPCO 2000 Software. RESULTS: Mean BCVA improvement and endothelial cell loss were statistically significant at 18mo in both groups with no difference between the two groups; no statistically significant difference in surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was noticed in the two groups. At AS-OCT the only significant alterations in the CCI were endothelial gaping and local detachment of Descemet's membrane at 1 and 7d after surgery; no statistically significant alterations were found at 1, 6 and 18mo. PCO score at 18mo was 0.03 +/- 0.07 for group A and 0.08 +/- 0.18 for group B (P=0.11) with no sign of central optic plate invasion in both groups. CONCLUSION: The implant of the new Incise (R) MJ14 IOL through a 1.4 mm CCI and B-MICS technique appeared to be a safe and effective procedure with rapid visual recovery. PCO rate resulted very low and the CCI presented few morphological alterations which were only detectable in the first days postoperatively and achieved fast corneal healing during the long-term follow-up.