Aqueous flare induced by heparin-surface-modified poly(methyl methacrylate) and acrylic lenses implanted through the same-size incision in patients with diabetes

Abstract Purpose To compare the degree of blood–aqueous barrier (BAB) breakdown in eyes of diabetic patients after phacoemulsification and implantation of heparin-surface-modified poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or soft hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses (IOLs) performed using the same technique with the same incision size to determine the influence of the IOLs on postoperative inflammation independent of other surgical factors. Settings Department of Ophthalmology, University of Paris XIII, Bobigny, France. Methods In a prospective study, 44 eyes of 31 diabetic patients with or without mild to moderate diabetic retinopathy were randomly assigned to receive an HSM PMMA IOL (22 eyes) or a soft hydrophobic acrylic IOL (22 eyes) after standardized phacoemulsification surgery. Both types of IOLs had a 6.0 mm optic, were inserted unfolded, and were placed in the bag through a calibered 6.0 mm superior scleral incision. Anterior chamber flare was measured preoperatively and 1, 7, 30, and 240 days postoperatively using the Kowa 500 laser flare meter. Results The mean flare value was higher on the first postoperative day in both groups. There were no statistically significant between-group differences in flare scores or clinical parameters preoperatively or at any postoperative visit. Conclusions No significant difference was observed in inflammation between eyes having HSM PMMA IOL implantation or those having soft hydrophobic acrylic IOL implantation through the same-size incision. This indicates that hydrophobic acrylic and HSM PMMA materials induce the same degree of BAB breakdown after phacoemulsification in eyes of diabetic patients.