Corneal Astigmatic Changes by Temporal Incision or Oblique Incision in Sutureless Cataract Surgery

ABSTRACT

We analyzed postoperative astigmatic changes according to the location of incision in 129 eyes that sutureless cataract surgeries were performed. We followed up the astigmatic changes until six months postoperatively, and compared the results of two groups of which the one is the preoperative against-the-rule astigmatic cases with superior incisions and temporal incisions, the other is the preoperative oblique astigmatic cases with superior incisions and superotemporal incisions. In the preoperative against-the-rule astigmatic cases, postoperative astigmatic changes were shifted toward against-the-rule astigmatism(0.23 diopters) in superior incisions and toward with-the-rule astigmatism(0.20 diopters) in temporal incisions until 6 months following surgery(p0.05). Surgically induced astigmatisms were less in superotemporal incisions than superior incisions (p<0.01) and corneal astigmatisms were stabilized after one month postoperatively in both groups(p<0.05). These results demonstrated that surgically induced astigmatisms were decreased by the incision at steep axis, and in the cases of preoperative againstthe rule astigmatism, the preexisting astigmatisms were decreased by the temporal incisions.