Comparison of the short-term clinical results of silicone and acrylic intraocular lens in patients with diabetes mellitus

In order to compare the clinical results of silicone intraocular lenses (IOLs) and acrylic IOLs in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), we reviewed the records of 69 diabetic patients (79 eyes--40 eyes; silicone IOLs, 39 eyes; acrylic IOLs) who had undergone phacoemulsifications and posterior chamber intraocular lens (PCI) implantations between January 1994 and January 1999. Postoperative ocular examinations included measurements of uncorrected and best corrected visual acuity tests and recording any complication one day, one week and two months after surgery. There was no statistically significant difference in visual acuity between the eyes with silicone IOLs and those with acrylic IOLs. Additionally, there was no difference in visual acuity according to the method of blood sugar level control. The rate of posterior capsular opacity (PCO) was significantly lower in the patients with acrylic IOLs than in those with silicone IOLs (p<0.05). These results suggest that there is no difference in visual outcome between acrylic IOLs and silicone IOLs in patients with DM. However in view of the lower rates of PCO with acrylic IOLs, they may be a better choice for eyes in diabetic patients.