Refractive surgeons can now freely access information on IOL constants from an online database, IOLCon, that continuously compiles and optimises the data.

“The patient’s visual needs and the biometry of the individual eye are prime considerations when picking an IOL,” said Professor Achim Langenbucher from Saarland University in Germany in an interview with Ophthalmology Times Europe. “The IOL constants are the important components that link the biometric measurements to the expected axial lens position in the eyes. An accurate estimation of this effective lens position is needed to determine which IOL power is best suited for an individual patient.”

IOLCon currently holds about 9000 clinical results which can help surgeons achieve optimal implantation outcomes after cataract surgery. IOL manufacturers enter technical data for their IOL products while registered surgical centres can upload preoperative and postoperative refractive results to obtain globally or personally optimised IOL constants. Currently, there is data from more than 310 IOL models manufactured by 23 different companies on IOLCon, with optimised constants available for 61 models, said Prof Langenbucher.

Cataract surgeons can search IOLCon for IOL data on required specifications and available power ranges, filtered by manufacturer, material and optic size. “The more data ophthalmic surgeons upload, the more reliable the optimised constants will be,” said Prof Langenbucher.

Visit www.IOLCon.org for more.