Short-term variations in macular thickness in subjects implanted with a clear vs yellow intraocular lens.

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine by optical coherence tomography (OCT) macular thickness variations produced over time in psudophakic subjects with a clear introcular lens (IOL) in one eye and a yellow IOL in the follow eye. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Macular thickness measurements were obtained in 17 subjects over the age of 65 years who had undergone cataract surgery in both eyes and had been implanted with different IOLs (clear and yellow) in two separate surgeries. Macular thickness was determined using the instruments StratusOCT and CirrusOCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.) in 3 sessions each separated by a 2-years gap. RESULTS: Significant differences in macular thicness measurements were detected for the two types of IOL. After 4 years of follow-up macular thicknesses were significantly greater in the eyes implanted with a yellow IOL than in the fellow eyes with a clear IOL. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the use fo a blue-light filtering IOL protects the eye from or delays retinal thinning.