Intraocular lens damage associated with posterior capsulotomy: a comparison of intraocular lens designs and four different Nd:YAG laser instruments.

A comparison of intraocular lens damage associated with four different Nd:YAG laser instruments was performed using polarized light, scanning electron microscopy, and a qualitative measurement of optical resolution. Five intraocular lens designs, each of which provided a different separation between the intraocular lens and a model of the posterior capsule, were tested with each laser instrument. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of lens pitting caused by each laser. Intraocular lenses designed with a theoretical separation of 0.25 mm or more between the lens and the posterior capsule sustained no damage with any of the laser instruments used in this study.