OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the 36-month Nd-Yag laser (a treatment of posterior capsular opacification, the most frequent complication of cataract surgery) incidence rate of three monofocal IOLs: Acrysof SN60WF (Alcon), Akreos AO-MI-60 (Baush&Lomb) and Hoya YA-60BB (Hoya). METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted at 3 French sites. Each centre implanted at least two of the above IOLs. Patients had to have uncomplicated cataract surgery with at least 2 years of follow-up. Patients implanted with one of the above IOLs were picked up at random from the surgery theatre registry. Medical data were retrieved from patient charts. 36-months post surgical data were obtained from the surgeon’s medical files and from other ophthalmologists, if involved in post-surgical care. Time to Nd:Yag laser analysis was carried out using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Confounding variable imbalances were adjusted with a stepwise Cox model. The statistical unit is the eye. RESULTS: 126 eyes were implanted with Acrysof, 89 with Akreos and 85 with Hoya. Patients with Acrysof were younger (72.1, 76.4 and 75.2 years; P=0.0007). The sex ratio was 4 males: 6 females. Patient follow-up was longer in the Hoya eyes (27.8, 20.3 and 32.1 months; P=0.002). Eyes implanted with Acrysof had 1.68 times less Nd-Yag laser than Hoya (P=0.06) and 3.43 times less than Akreos (P<0.0001). The results remained unchanged when the analysis was restricted to the events occurring during the first 36 months (HR=2.20; P=0.009; HR=3.67; P<0.0001, respectively). Adjusting for confounding variable unbalances did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis conducted at 36 months suggests that following usual surgical practice, Acrysof eyes had significantly less Nd-Yag laser capsulotomy than those implanted with Hoya and Akreos. Consequently, Acrysof eyes were less exposed to Nd-YAG laser complications and experienced lower post-surgical treatment costs.