Keratorefractive Aspect and Visual Performance of the Incision and Closure Method for Catatact Surgery

Kim, Min Ho; Joo, Choun Ki

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effect of incision length and suture method on astigmatic changes and visual acuity, three different cataract surgical procedures were carried out and compared retros pectively. Every sample used in this work showed better than 20/25 of corrected visual acuity after 8 weeks, postoperatively. The first group(30 eyes) had a single horizontal suture after phacoemulsification followed by implantation of a hydrogel lens through 4.0mm or ovoid polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) lens through 5.2mm incision. The second group(30 eyes) had three interrupted sutures after phacoemulsification followed by implantation of PMMA lens through, 7.2mm incision. The third group(30 eyes) had five radial interrrupted sutures after a standard extracapsular cataract extraction(ECCE) through 10mm incision followed by implanta hon of PMMA lens. The suture material was 10-0 nylon in all samples. The astigmatism and visual acuity were assessed at one day, 1,2,4,6, and 8 weeks, postoperatively. Over 60% of the eyes in the first group showed an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better after 1 week, 43.3% of the second group and only 6.7% of the third group showed that acuity. The difference in keratomety measurement between 1 week and 8 weeks postoperatively was smallest in the first group and second group showed less difference than third group. It could be concluded that small incision and single horizontal suture technique showed significantly less astigmatism and faster visual rehabilitation than the other proecdures.