POSTOPERATIVE ASTIGMATISM AFTER NO-STITCH, SMALL-INCISION CATARACT-SURGERY WITH 3.5 MM AND 4.5 MM INCISIONS

We studied postoperative astigmatism in 107 patients who were followed for 12 months after phacoemulsification and posterior chamber lens im plantation. A scleral incision of 3.5 mm was used in Group A patients and one of 4.5 mm in Group B patients. In both groups a no-stitch woun d closure technique was used. A high correlation between preoperative and 12-month postoperative height and time shift of keratometric value s was found. In both groups the mean difference was less than 0.60 dio pters (D). The mean postoperative cylinder increase was less than 0.50 D; it was less than 0.25 D after six months. The induced astigmatism was confirmed by three different methods. Immediately after surgery, a negative induced astigmatism was found in both groups. After 12 month s, induced astigmatism in Group A was -0.37 D and in Group B, -0.67 D. Immediately after surgery there was an axis change; a decrease of wit h-the-rule astigmatism occurred concurrently with an increase toward o blique and against-the-rule astigmatism. This axis change was somewhat evident after 12 months.