High and low contrast visual acuity after artiflex phakic intraocular lens implantation for the correction of myopia.

Purpose: To determine the effects of Artiflex phakic intraocular lens (PIOL) implantation on best spectacle-corrected high and low contrast visual acuity under photopic and mesopic conditions.
Methods: Forty-two consecutive eyes had implantation of a foldable iris-supported PIOL to correct myopia. The mean preoperative spherical equivalent refraction was -7.26+/-1.91 diopters (D) (range: -4.90 to -13.60 D). The high (100%) and low (2.5%) contrast visual acuity with best spectacle correction was tested with translucent logarithmic visual acuity charts (Precision Vision) under photopic and mesopic conditions.
Results: At mean 7.6+/-5.4 months after PIOL implantation, the mean high and low contrast visual acuity under photopic and mesopic conditions had significantly increased from preoperatively: photopic high contrast visual acuity from -0.07+/-0.11 logMAR to -0.14+/-0.08 logMAR (P<.001); photopic low contrast visual acuity from 0.48+/-0.14 logMAR to 0.36+/-0.11 logMAR (P=.011); mesopic high contrast visual acuity from -0.09+/-0.09 logMAR to -0.16+/-0.08 logMAR (P<.001); and mesopic low contrast visual acuity from 0.50+/-0.13 logMAR to 0.33+/-0.10 logMAR (P<.001). Mean postoperative spherical equivalent refraction was -0.21+/-0.28 D (range: +0.50 to -0.75 D). Of all eyes, 91.9% were within 0.50 D of attempted correction, and 67% gained 1 or more lines of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA). No eye lost 2 or more lines of BSCVA.
Conclusions: Artiflex PIOL implantation for the correction of moderate to high myopia seems to be a safe and predictable procedure, which resulted in increased high and low contrast visual acuity under photopic and mesopic conditions.
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