EFFECT OF APPLANATION TONOMETRY ON MEAN CORNEAL CURVATURE

Purpose: To evaluate whether applanation tonometry affects corneal cur vature and if so, the implications for intraocular lens power calculat ion. Setting: Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital, Birmingham, England . Methods: Twenty-two patients attending the preoperative assessment c linic were enrolled in the study. Keratometry was performed immediatel y before, 1 minute after, and 10 minutes after standard Goldmann tonom etry. Main outcome measures were mean corneal refractive power and its reproducibility (coefficient of repeatability). Results: No clinicall y significant difference was noted between preapplanation and postappl anation readings (P =.6), and reproducibility was not significantly af fected. Conclusion: The results indicate that corneal applanation befo re keratometry does not compromise the prediction of postoperative ref raction.