Abstract

HERNANDEZ SILVA, Juan Raúl et al. Postsurgical astigmatism in phacoemulsification according to the surgical site. Rev Cubana Oftalmol [online]. 2012, vol.25, n.1, pp. 2-11. ISSN 0864-2176.

Objective: To determine the astigmatism induced by the phacoemulsification technique, according to the surgical site in the patients operated on from cataract in "Ramón Pando Ferrer" Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology in the period of January to December 2010. Methods: A retrospective, longitudinal and descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the behaviour of post surgery astigmatism in 2510 patients operated on from cataract by means of phacoemulsification technique (Phaco Chop) for different approach areas of main incision (upper, oblique, temporal) and extracapsulary cataract extraction with tunnelized incisions. Variables such as best corrected and non-corrected visual acuity, hardness of the crystalline lens, site of incision, spheral equivalent, keratometry, and induced astigmatism were all analyzed. Results: The mean induced astigmatism in phacoemulsification was 0.45 D, and for the extracapsulary cataract extraction technique was 1.30 D. When relating to the crystalline hardness, the induced astigmatism was 0, 44 D in the nuclei of 2 hardness crossings. The induced astigmatism was 0.03 D with temporal incisions or smaller than or similar to 3mm. The best non-corrected average visual acuity before surgery was 0.12 and after surgery was 0.31, whereas the preoperative corrected acuity was 0.50 and the postoperative value was 0.77. These values were better in temporal incisions with four lines of visual gain without correction and five lines with correction. The best spheral equivalent was 0.73 D in the temporal incision. Conclusion: The phacoemulsification on the temporary side induces smaller postoperative astigmatism with better satisfactory visual gain for the patient.

Keywords : Induced astigmatism; temporal incisions; phacoemulsification.

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