REFRACTIVE RESULTS AFTER PHACOEMULSIFICATION AND ECCE - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

The refractive results were evaluated in 79 patients undergoing catara ct extraction by phacoemulsification using a 6-7 mm tunnel incision, a nd compared with a group of 77 patients undergoing planned extracapsul ar cataract extraction (ECCE) by the same surgeon. A mean increase in the keratometric cylinder of 0.05 D and 0.52 D was found in the phacoe mulsification and the extracapsular cataract extraction group, respect ively. This was significantly different from zero for the extracapsula r cataract extraction group (p < 0.05) but not for the phacoemulsifica tion group (p > 0.05). By vector analysis, the mean surgically induced astigmatism was 0.91 D and 1.36 D in the phacoemulsification and the extracapsular cataract extraction group, respectively (p < 0.01). The IOL power prediction error (spectacle plane) was found to be 0.17 D (/- 0.69 SD) in the phacoemulsification group and 0.02 D (+/- 0.79 SD) in the extracapsular cataract extraction group, respectively. We concl ude that phacoemulsification improves the surgical control of the refr active outcome of cataract surgery.