The Factors Affecting Early Development of Posterior Capsular Opacification after Cataract Surgery

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To identify factors affecting early development of posterior capsular opacity after cataract surgery. METHODS: The medical records of patients who had undergone phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation with the same surgeon from January 1997 to May 2003 were reviewed. This study recruited 3625 eyes. Age, sex, systemic diseases, preoperative visual acuity, and intraocular lens materials were compared between the early capsulotomy group (Group 1, where the interval from cataract surgery to capsulotomy or =3 years, 39 eyes). RESULTS: The mean age for Group 1 was 56.76+/-15.96 years and that for Group 2 was 61.97+/-13.46 years (p=0.125, Student t-test). No significant differences were seen between Group 1 and Group 2 with respect to diabetes or hypertension (p=0.166 and p=0.109, Pearson's chi-square test). There was a significant difference in intraocular lens materials between Group 1 and Group 2 (p=0.002, Pearson's chi-square test), and significantly fewer eyes with PMMA lenses than with silicone or acrylate lenses in Group 1 (p=0.001 and p=0.005, Pearson's chi-square test). CONCLUSIONS: The number of eyes with PMMA lenses was significantly smaller than the number with silicone or acrylate lenses in the early capsulotomy group. This suggests that PMMA intraocular lenses may induce posterior capsular opacity later in the postoperative period than silicone or acrylate lenses.