Comparison of the functional defocus curve between eyes with diffractive multifocal intraocular lenses and age-stratified phakic eyes.

PURPOSE: To compare the functional defocus curve between eyes with diffractive multifocal intraocular lenses (DMIOLs) and age-stratified phakic eyes with clear lenses. SETTING: Hayashi Eye Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan. DESIGN: Prospective comparative study. METHODS: Eighty-five eyes of 85 patients aged ≥60 years with DMIOLs (Alcon PanOptix™, n=40; Johnson & Johnson Odyssey™, n=45) and 380 phakic eyes of patients in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s were enrolled. Distance-corrected visual acuity (VA) at various simulated distances was measured at 3 months postoperatively using an all-distance vision tester and compared between groups. RESULTS: Mean distance-corrected VA at most distances was significantly worse in the DMIOL groups than in phakic patients in their 30s (P≤.002). Compared with phakic patients in their 40s, the PanOptix group had significantly better distance-corrected near VA (DCNVA) at 0.3m and intermediate VA (DCIVA) at 0.5m, but worse DCIVA at 1.0m, whereas the Odyssey group had better DCNVA but worse DCIVA at 0.7 and 1.0m (P≤.002). Mean DCNVA and DCIVAs at 0.5, and 0.7m were significantly better in the DMIOL groups than in phakic patients in their 50s and 60s (P<.001), except for DCIVA at 0.7m in patients in their 50s. CONCLUSIONS: The functional defocus curve in eyes with DMIOLs was comparable to that in phakic eyes of patients in their 40s and superior to that in phakic eyes of patients in their 50s and 60s, indicating that DMIOLs may restore the functional range of vision to that of phakic patients in their 40s.