To observe the long-term changes of surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) in phacoemulsification surgery with steep axis clear corneal incision.

Retrospective case analysis was used. The data was gathered from 56 patients (63 eyes, 32 right eyes, and 31 left eyes) who underwent cataract surgery at the Eye Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1 st, 2018, to March 1 st, 2021. In addition to intraocular lens implantation, all patients had their cataracts phacoemulsified. The same doctor conducted the procedure. During the most recent follow-up (follow-up period from October 1 st, 2021, to December 31 st, 2021) and prior, the IOL-Master 700's corneal curvature was assessed. Through the use of vector analysis, axial, SIA is determined. Corneal incisions in different eye types, in different directions (the incision group corresponding to the upper incision group in the compliant astigmatism group, the temporal incision group in the anti-regular astigmatism group, and the oblique axis incision group in the oblique axis astigmatism group) and different periods (from 36 months to 48 months after cataract surgery, 24 months to 36 months after cataract surgery, and 12 months to 24 months after cataract surgery) and SIA using different calculation methods (vector analysis method and centroid method) were compared. The obtained data was analyzed by one-way homogeneity of variance test and independent-sample t test method.

Among 63 eyes, the SIA of different eyes was compared, the right eye was (0.45±0.19) D, the left eye was (0.48±0.34)D, and the difference was statistically significant (t=0.43, P=0.045); the incision comparison of SIA was (0.44±0.36) D, (0.47±0.23) D, (0.50±0.20) D respectively and the difference was not statistically significant (F=0.22, P=0.800); the difference of different periods was not statistically significant (F=0.28, P=0.756); there was no significant difference between the SIA calculated by the vector analysis method and the centroid method (t=0.08, P=0.800).

The SIA of the incision of the right eye was significantly smaller than that of the incision of the left eye by the vector analysis method, but there was no significant change in the SIA of the incision in different steep axial directions, different periods, and different calculation methods in all patients.

cataract; surgically induced astigmatism; steep axis; phacoemulsification