Background: Refractive surgery for any form of ametropia, including postoperative cataract rehabilitation, should have as its refractive goal an accuracy comparable to non-surgical modalities such as contact lenses and spectacles. To date, all refractive procedures fall significantly short of this goal because of poor predictability, significant instability, and annoying optical side effects. The multicomponent intraocular lens is being developed to further refine the accuracy of conventional IOL surgery by making the initial refractive result adjustable.
Methods: The multicomponent intraocular lens has three optical elements. The spherical base lens looks much like an ordinary PC-IOL. Attached to it are two exchangeable optical elements-a toric sandwich lens and a spherical or multifocal cap lens. The exchangeable elements allow the surgeon to refine the initial refractive result during a second, optional operative procedure.
Results: To date, prototype lenses have been fabricated from polymethylmethacrylate. These lenses have been assembled and disassembled both in vitro and in cat eyes to demonstrate the feasibility of this new concept.
Conclusion: The multicomponent intraocular lens concept is a major departure from conventional IOL technology because it allows enhancement, or fine tuning, of an already fairly accurate refractive procedure, IOL surgery.