Refractive-Error Quality of Life (RQL) in Patients with AcrySof IQ Aspherical Intraocular Lenses

Purpose: To compare refractive-error quality of life, and spherical aberration in pseudophakic eyes with an aspherical intraocular lens (AcrySof IQ) vs. a conventional spherical intraocular lens (AcrySof Single-Piece). Methods: 65 patients were randomized to implantation of either an aspherical IOL (Alcon AcrySof IQ) (30 eyes) or a spherical IOL (Alcon AcrySof Single-Piece (35 eyes). Three months postoperatively, complete ophthalmologic examinations including uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and a wavefront analysis were performed. Patients completed the National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of life Instrument (NEI RQL) to evaluate vision-related quality of life. Results: The mean postoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.09±0.07 logMAR in the aspherical group and 0.12±0.08 in the spherical group, and the difference was not statistically significant. Spherical aberrations were significantly lower in the aspherical group (0.12±0.23 μm), than in the spherical group (0.33±0.20 μm) (P=0.001). Patients with aspherical AcrySof IQ IOLs implantation also experienced less difficulties driving at night (P=0.04), but the difference was not significant after Bonferroni correction. Conclusion: The NEI RQL instrument is sensitive enough to detect the visual benefit of cataract surgery. The aspherical AcrySof IQ IOL reduces both spherical aberration and total higher-order aberrations, compared with the performance achieved by the spherical AcrySof Single-Piece IOL. Although the difference between the two IOLs is not statistically significant, there is a tendency toward the association of objective optical performance of aspherical AcrySof IQ IOLs with a subjective improvement in patients’ night driving.