Light adjustable lens implantation with cataract surgery in eyes with macular pathology.

Purpose

To evaluate the visual, refractive and safety outcomes of the light adjustable lens (LAL) in eyes with pre-existing macular pathology undergoing cataract surgery.

Setting

Private practice, multiple locations.

Design

Retrospective, consecutive case series.

Methods

Patients with macular pathology undergoing cataract surgery with LAL implantation were included. Diagnoses comprised epiretinal membrane (ERM), dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)/drusen, and other macular conditions. Primary outcome measures included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and the percentage of eyes within ±0.25 D (diopter), ±0.50 D and ±1.00 D of the refractive target. Safety endpoints included intraoperative and postoperative complications and changes in CDVA pre- and post-adjustments.

Results

171 eyes from 106 patients were included. The most common diagnoses were ERM and dry AMD. Among eyes targeted for distance (n=95), 96% achieved UDVA of 20/25 or better and 85% achieved 20/20 or better. For refractive accuracy, 87% of eyes were within ±0.50 D and 68% were within ±0.25 D of the target. The percentage of eyes within ±0.50 D of target rose from 66% to 87% following the adjustment process and the percentage of eyes achieving 20/20 or better climbed from 26% to 85%.

Conclusions

In eyes with macular pathology, the LAL provides excellent uncorrected visual acuity and highly accurate refractive outcomes with a favorable safety profile. These findings position the LAL as a viable advanced IOL option in patients traditionally considered suboptimal candidates due to underlying macular disease.