Surgically Induced Astigmatism According to Corneoscleral Incision Length and Suture Methods After Cataract Surgery

ABSTRACT

We analyzed corneal astigmatic change on patients after phacoemulsification with scleral pocket incision, according to incision length and suture methods. The patients were divided into 4 groups and followed up at least for 2 months. The four groups were 5.5 mm incision length with horizontal suture technique group, 5.5 mm incision length with sutureless technique group, 6.5 mm - 7.0 mm incision length with horizontal suture technique group and 6.5 mm - 7.0 mm incision length withsutureless technique group. Inall groups, there was slightly increasing tendency of against the rule astigmatism, but less than 0.54 D(average). Among the patients with 5.5 mm incision length, horizontal suture group had almost the same astigmatic change as sutureless group(p=0.44, t-test), and with horizontal suture technique, 5.5 mm group had a tendency of less astigmatic change than 6.5 - 7.0 mm group(p=0.087, t-test), but without statistical significance.