Incisional Correction of Corneal Astigmatism During Phacoemulsification

Incisional Correction of Corneal Astigmatism During Phacoemulsification

Today, cataract surgery is regarded as refractive surgery, mainly aiming emmetropia, and this makes eliminating corneal astigmatism is critical. Corneal astigmatism of more than 1 diopter has been reported in up to 45% of the cataract surgery candidates.

It is possible to reduce pre-existing corneal astigmatism by creating a clear corneal incision at the steep meridian of the cornea, however; creating a small incision can correct the only astigmatism up to 1 Diopter, and sometimes this method may not be easy to perform due to the location of steep meridian like the difficulty while creating a superonasal or inferonasal incision at the left eye. This approach is usually sufficient for correcting astigmatism less than 1 D in most eyes. An opposite side clear corneal incision (OCCI) could enhance the flattening effect on the cornea.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clear cornea
• No history of previous ocular surgery
• Central corneal thickness (CCT) <640

Exclusion Criteria:

• Irregular corneal astigmatism or lenticular astigmatism
• Corneal opacities or pathology like Fuch's endothelial dystrophy
• Previous ocular surgeries like glaucoma surgery or PKP or pterygium excision
• Posterior segment diseases and pathology
• Complicated phacoemulsification