Intraocular Lenses: Evolution, Designs, Complications, and Pathology

The clinical applications of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have greatly expanded the spectrum of iatrogenic disease. A full understanding of any iatrogenic disorder, like a naturally occurring disease, must be based on a comprehensive study of its morbid anatomy. The pathologic anatomy of iatrogenic disorders, however, is difficult to study when tissue is difficult to obtain. Such is the case with intraocular lenses, where human tissue rarely becomes available except when coincidental death or severe ocular complications lead to enucleation. The evaluation of intraocular lens pathology is also hampered because clinically significant complications are not common and because of the large number of variables involved in lens design and surgical technique. For these reasons, the collective efforts of many individuals are needed to accumulate data. Since 1983, the Center for Intraocular Lens Research at the University of Utah Health Science Center, Salt Lake City, has served as a clearinghouse