Purpose: To compare visual acuity from far to near, contrast visual acuity, and acuity in the presence of glare (glare visual acuity) between an aspheric diffractive multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) with a low addition (add) power (+3.0 diopters) and a monofocal IOL.
Setting: Hayashi Eye Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
Methods: This prospective study comprised patients having implantation of an aspheric diffractive multifocal ReSTOR SN6AD1 IOL with a +3.0 D add (multifocal group) or a monofocal AcrySof IQ SN60WF IOL (monofocal group). Visual acuity from far to near distances, contrast acuity, and glare acuity were evaluated 3 months postoperatively.
Results: Each IOL group comprised 64 eyes of 32 patients. For monocular and binocular visual acuity, the mean uncorrected and distance-corrected intermediate acuity at 0.5 m and the near acuity at 0.3 m were significantly better in the multifocal group than in the monofocal group (P</=.0035); distance and intermediate acuity at 0.7 m and 1.0 m were similar between the 2 groups. No significant differences were observed between groups in contrast acuity and glare acuity under photopic and mesopic conditions. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between all-distance acuity and pupil diameter or between visual acuity and IOL decentration and tilt.
Conclusions: The diffractive multifocal IOL with a low add power provided significantly better intermediate and near visual acuity than the monofocal IOL. Contrast sensitivity with and without glare was reduced with the multifocal IOL, and all-distance visual acuity was independent of pupil diameter and IOL displacement.