Factors affecting contrast sensitivity with the artisan phakic intraocular lens for high myopia

PURPOSE: To evaluate the factors affecting postoperative visual function in eyes with Artisan phakic intraocular lenses (PIOLs). METHODS: This study examined a retrospective non-comparative case series. Phakic IOLs were implanted in 60 eyes of 36 patients with high myopia. Contrast sensitivity for spatial frequencies of 1.1, 1.7, 2.6, 4.2, 6.6, and 10.4 cycles per degree with and without glare and wavefront aberrations were measured before and 3 months after surgery. The area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) was calculated from the contrast sensitivity. Stepwise regression analysis was used to assess the factors that affected the postoperative AULCSF. RESULTS: No significant difference was noted between the preoperative AULCSF without glare and the postoperative AULCSF without glare (P=.886). The mean AULCSF with glare improved significantly after surgery (P=.018). The variables affecting the postoperative AULCSF without glare were axial length (partial regression coefficient B = -0.101, P=.0002) and age (B = -0.008, P=.0063). The variables affecting the postoperative AULCSF with glare were axial length (B=-0.127, P<.0001) and age (B = -0.012, P=.0294). The preoperative refraction showed multi- collinearity with the axial length, and coma-like aberration and spherical aberration showed multicollinearity with age. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast sensitivity without glare was the same before and after surgery and contrast sensitivity with glare improved after surgery. Longer axial length and older age predispose patients to degradation of the postoperative visual function in eyes with Artisan PIOLs. [J Refract Surg. 2009;25:25-32.].