(San Francisco) - Seventy-two percent of patients who received an intraocular lens implant in one eye and LASIK in the other preferred the lens because of the better quality of vision. This is the major conclusion of a study appearing in the May issue of Ophthalmology, the clinical journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Eye M.D. Association.

In this randomized clinical trial in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, 21 percent of lens-implant eyes and 12 percent of LASIK eyes attained 20/20 or better uncorrected visual acuity, and 88 percent of lens-implant eyes and 58 percent of LASIK eyes attained 20/40 or better visual acuity. Severe night glare was reported in two percent of lens-implant eyes and 15 percent of LASIK eyes.

In addition to better uncorrected and spectacle-corrected visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, lens-implant patients also experienced other advantages, such as lens exchangeability and lower enhancement rates - two percent versus 16 percent for LASIK.

Academy spokesperson Ernest W. Kornmehl, MD, said, "This randomized study provides compelling evidence that use of intraocular lenses for the correction of extremely high myopia may be a viable alternative to LASIK. Over 50 percent of patients who underwent LASIK in this study would not have been considered candidates by most surgeons, and unsatisfactory results would have been anticipated. At least a five-year follow-up of intraocular lenses is necessary to verify their long-term safety."

Although use of intraocular lenses is routine in cataract surgery, these lenses have not yet been approved by the FDA for use in correction of refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. However, clinical trials are underway in the United States, and Eye M.D.s may legally use intraocular lenses for refractive correction if it is determined to be in the best interest of the patient