AIM: To study the tilt of the intraocular lens(IOL)after Nd:YAG capsulotomy(YAG)and variation of the axial length(AL)in patients with posterior capsular opacification(PCO).

METHODS: The study involved 18 eyes of 14 patients with PCO after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery and IOL implantation. All patients had taken examinations, including testing best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)by using standard logarithmic visual acuity chart, images of ocular anterior segment and AL by OCT. After the examinations, YAG was operated upon all patients. Each eye received one drop of Diclofenac Sodium Eye Drops immediately after YAG, and patients had taken examinations listed above again. One week later, BCVA and OCT were tested as well. Data(BCVA, tilt of IOLs, and AL)were recorded and analyzed statistically by SPSS.

RESULTS: Mean patient age was 73.93±6.94y, including 5 males and 9 females, 8 left eyes and 10 right eyes, altogether 14 patients with 18 eyes. In this study, tilt of IOLs was defined as the angle of anterior surface of IOL and pupil plane(briefly called Tilt, unit:°). Before YAG, mean Tilt was 2.896±2.286°, mean AL was 23.56±0.55mm. 1h after YAG, mean Tilt was 4.702±2.991°, mean AL was 23.40±0.59mm, and BCVA enhanced 3.72±1.74 lines. 1wk after YAG, 9 patients with 12 eyes were involved in the study. The mean Tilt of these 12 eyes was 3.175±1.791° 1h after YAG and 3.434±1.835° 1wk after YAG. There were significant differences between Tilt before YAG and Tilt 1h after YAG. There were no significant differences between AL before YAG and AL 1h after YAG. There were no significant differences between Tilt 1h after YAG and Tilt 1wk after YAG. The lines of enhancement of BCVA 1h after YAG was correlated to differences between Tilt before YAG and Tilt 1h after YAG, of which the correlation coefficient was -0.523.

CONCLUSION: IOLs of patients with PCO tilted after YAG, while AL rarely changed. After YAG, the less IOLs tilted, the more BCVA enhanced.