ABSTRACT
To compare the effects on astigmatism of 5.5 mm clear corneal phaco-incision at steepest meridian [group A] with uniformly selected temporal site [group B]. Randomized control trial [RCT] Armed forces institute of ophthalmology Rawalpindi [AFIO]. January 2007 to December 2007. One hundred cases were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups, 50 in each group. Subjects were divided by simple random method [lottery method] into two groups, group A and B. Cataract surgery was performed by phaco and PCIOL was implanted. In group A, incision was made on steepest meridian. While in group B, incision was made on uniformly selected temporal site [irrespective of steepest meridian]. On 12th post-operative week corneal astigmatism of group A [1.46 +/- 0.377] was significantly [p<0.05] less than pre-operative astigmatism [2.151 +/- 0.404]. For group B, difference between 12th week post-operative [1.73 +/- 0.344] and pre-operative astigmatism [2.03 +/- 0.342] was also statistically significant but the effects of phaco-incision in reducing pre-corneal astigmatism was much superior in group A than in group B. The difference was statistically significant at p<0.05. Steepest meridian phaco-incision results in significant decrease in pre-operative astigmatism than routine phaco-incision on temporal side