A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SHORT TERM POST–OPERATIVE ASTIGMATISM BETWEEN SUPERIOR AND TEMPORAL CLEAR CORNEAL THROUGH 3.2smm INCISION IN PHACOEMULSIFICATION

Dr. Pradeep. Pakalapati; Dr. Narasinga Rao Vadada; Dr. Deepti Sampath Kotagiri; Dr. Prasanthi Annasamudram

Volume : V, Issue : VI, June - 2015

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SHORT TERM POST–OPERATIVE ASTIGMATISM BETWEEN SUPERIOR AND TEMPORAL CLEAR CORNEAL THROUGH 3.2smm INCISION IN PHACOEMULSIFICATION

Dr. Pradeep. Pakalapati, Dr. Narasinga Rao Vadada, Dr. Deepti Sampath Kotagiri, Dr. Prasanthi Annasamudram

Abstract :

OBJECTIVE: To compare surgically induced postoperative astigmatism results between superior and temporal clear corneal incisions phacoemulsification SETTING: Tertiary eye care center at asram medical college hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective randomised clinical study comprised 100 eyes with grade2 to 3 nuclear cataract (LOCS III classification) who were randomly assigned to two groups of 50 eyes each. Group A underwent superior and group 2 underwent temporal clear corneal approach in phacoemulsification. The patients were examined on day 1, 1week, 1month and 6 weeks postoperatively. Surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was calculated using vector method. RESULTS: Out of 50 patients in Group A– 30% developed WTR astigmatism with a mean astigmatism of 1.18D and 56% developed ATR astigmatism with a mean astigmatism of 1.13D, 14% had no SIA. In Group B– 50% developed WTR astigmatism with a mean astigmatism of 1.14D and 22% developed ATR astigmatism with a mean astigmatism of 0.91D, 28% had no SIA. The average surgically induced astigmatism in patients who underwent phacoemulsification with PC IOL with superior clear corneal incision was 0.99 D and 0.75 D with temporal clear corneal incisions. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p value= 0.024, chi–square). By 6 weeks, 96% eyes in both groups had visual acuity between 6/12 to 6/6. CONCLUSION: The average surgically induced astigmatism is less with temporal clear corneal incision as compared to superior clear corneal incision phacoemulsification with foldable intraocular lens implantation.