Effect of Double-needle Stabilizer during Flanged Intrascleral Fixation of Intraocular Lens

Abstract

Purpose: We evaluated the difference in clinical outcome according to the use of double-needle stabilizer in flanged intrascleral fixation of intraocular lens (IOL).Method: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 44 patients (44 eyes) who underwent flanged intrascleral fixation of IOL. Groups 1 and 2 (respectively) underwent surgery that did not and did employ a double-needle stabilizer. We evaluated the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, spherical equivalent (SE), refractive prediction error (RPE), IOL tilt and decentration, and other complications.Results: The postoperative BCVA, SE, and RPE did not differ between the two groups (<i>p</i> = 0.672, <i>p</i> = 0.131, <i>p</i> = 0.247). IOL tilt was significantly less in group 2 than in group 1 (<i>p</i> = 0.038, <i>p</i> = 0.015 [horizontal and vertical]) (3.96 ± 2.01° horizontally and 4.17 ± 2.07° vertically in group 1; 2.59 ± 2.02° horizontally and 2.50 ± 1.92° vertically in group 2). IOL decentration was also significantly less in group 2 than in group 1 (<i>p</i> = 0.001, <i>p</i> = 0.004 [horizontal and vertical]) (0.44 ± 0.21 mm horizontally and 0.45 ± 0.20 mm vertically in group 1; 0.25 ± 0.09 mm horizontally and 0.27 ± 0.13 mm vertically in group 2).Conclusions: Use of a double-needle stabilizer during flanged intrascleral fixation of IOL significantly reduced postoperative IOL tilt and decentration, and may thus improve postoperative visual quality.