To compare the incidence of anterior capsule contraction syndrome (ACCS) after hydrophobic and hydrophilic intraocular lens (IOLs) implantation. In this retrospective study, 639 eyes of 639 patients (one eye from each patient) were included, and were divided in two groups according to the type of IOL implanted [hydrophobic (group 1: 273 eyes) or hydrophilic (group 2: 366 eyes, two different IOL models: group 2a, 267 eyes and group 2b, 99 eyes)]. ACCS incidence between groups 1 and 2 as well as between hydrophilic group IOL models was compared. ACCS was significantly (p = 0.012) less frequent in group 1 (hydrophobic) than group 2 (hydrophilic) (four eyes versus 19 eyes respectively). In the hydrophilic group, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two IOL models (ACCS was observed in 13 eyes of the Quatrix and six eyes of the ACR6D IOL model: p = 0.65). ACCS was significantly greater after hydrophilic IOL implantation when compared with hydrophobic lenses, while there was no statistical significant difference between the two hydrophilic IOL models.