To evaluate the stability of corneal endothelial cells after ICL (implantable contact lens) implantation.

Retrospective review of 50 eyes were subjected to implantation of ICL by one surgeon from December 2003 to April 2008. During the follow-up period, the number of eyes with regular follow-up decreased and remained at 18 eyes at the time of a three-year follow-up. Patients were examined preoperatively and at one, three, and six months and one, two, and three years postoperatively. The main outcome measures were the change in corneal endothelial cell density (CD), coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagonality (HA). This analysis was done in all eyes and especially in the 18 eyes with regular follow-up for three years and 11 eyes with changes in CV and HA corresponding to the normal endothelial wound healing process for three years.

Corneal endothelial CD, CV, and HA were not significantly changed compared with their preoperative values throughout the three-year follow-up period for all eyes. In the early postoperative period, there was a slight decrease in CD, but it increased after the second year of follow-up (range: -3.12%~+2.84%); there was a slight increase in CV, but it decreased after the six-month follow-up (-6.63%~+5.56%); and there was a slight decrease in HA, but it increased after the three-month follow-up (range: -0.88%~10.64%). Similarly, there were no significant changes in corneal endothelial cell density in the 18 eyes with regular follow-up or the 11 eyes with changes in CV and HA corresponding to normal endothelial wound healing process for three years.

The results show stability of corneal endothelial cells after ICL implantation.