Improvements in vision-related quality of life with AcrySof IQ SN60WF aspherical intraocular lenses

PURPOSE: To compare vision-related quality of life and higher-order aberrations (HOAs) with an aspherical intraocular lens (IOL) (AcrySof IQ SN60WF) and a conventional spherical IOL (AcrySof SA60AT) (both Alcon) after phacoemulsification. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. METHODS: Sixty-five patients were prospectively randomized to receive an Alcon AcrySof IQ SN60WF IOL (30 eyes) or an AcrySof SA60AT IOL (35 eyes). All patients had a complete ophthalmologic examination including uncorrected visual acuity, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), and wavefront analysis preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. Patients also completed the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) to evaluate vision-related quality of life. RESULTS: The mean postoperative BSCVA (logMAR) was 0.09 +/- 0.07 (SD) in the aspherical IOL group and 0.12 +/- 0.08 in the spherical IOL group; the difference was not statistically significant. Spherical aberrations were statistically significantly lower in the aspherical IOL group (mean 0.12 +/- 0.23 microm) than in the spherical IOL group (mean 0.33 +/- 0.20 microm) (P = .001). Both IOL types improved most aspects of patients' vision-related quality of life. The aspherical IOL group had clinically significant improvement on more NEI VFQ-25 subscales, although the difference between groups in vision-related quality of life was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Eyes with the aspherical AcrySof IQ SN60WF IOL had reduced HOAs and spherical aberrations compared with eyes with the spherical AcrySof SA60AT IOL; however, there were no statistically significant differences in visual acuity or vision-related quality of life between groups.