Experience With Pinhole Intraocular Implant to Treat Irregular Corneal Astigmatism
Purpose
To present recent developments on a new concept of pinhole intraocular implant, which was created to treat irregular corneal astigmatism.
Methods
We present recent updates on the design of a new pinhole implant. The new design, with thinner haptics (250 vs. 350 micron) and a smaller central opening (1.3mm vs. 1.5mm) was implanted in 6 patients with irregular astigmatism, with significant improvement in visual acuity. It is implanted in the ciliary sulcus of pseudophakic eyes. The thinner haptics of the second generation prototype were able to ensure good stability and centration, with less contact with the sulcus. The implant material is transparent to infrared light, allowing fundus imaging after implantation. Visual acuity and visual field testing were performed pre- and postoperatively.
Results
The new pinhole intraocular implant was able to minimize the impact of corneal aberrations in cases of irregular astigmatism, improving visual acuity. Improvements on the design of the new pinhole implant made implantation of the device easier, with less manipulation during surgery and less contact with the uveal tissue. The smaller central opening yields better results, without any relevant compromise in retinal luminance and visual field.
Conclusion
The second generation of the new pinhole intraocular implant significantly improved vision of patients with irregular corneal astigmatism.