Intraindividual comparison of higher-order aberrations after implantation of aspherical and spherical intraocular lenses as a function of pupil diameter

PURPOSE: To compare intraindividual higher-order wavefront aberrations after implantation of aspherical and spherical intraocular lenses (IOLs) as function of pupil diameter. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. METHODS: In this prospective study, wavefront measurements of 21 patients after implantation of a spherical IOL (AMO AR40e) in 1 eye and an aspherical IOL (AMO Tecnis) in the contralateral eye were analyzed. Third-, 4th-, 5th-, total higher-order aberration (HOA) root-mean-square (RMS), and primary spherical aberration (Z(4)(0)) were compared at different virtual pupil diameters of 3 to 6 mm. RESULTS: For both IOLs and each higher order analyzed, values increased with increasing pupil diameter. Fourth-order RMS and Z(4)(0) in the aspherical IOL group were significantly lower than with the spherical IOL at all analyzed pupil diameters. The total HOA RMS of the aspherical IOL was significantly lower than the spherical IOL only at 6 mm pupil diameter. For 3rd- and 5th-order RMS, no significant difference was found between the tested IOLs at any pupil diameter. CONCLUSION: In comparison to a spherical IOL, the aspherical Tecnis IOL reduced Z(4)(0) and 4th-order RMS significantly for pupil diameters of 3 to 6 mm, whereas total HOA RMS was only significantly reduced for a pupil diameter of 6 mm.