Scanning laser topometry and polarimetry before and after cataract surgeries with implantation of intraocular lenses

Background In the last years, scanning laser measurements were established in glaucoma diagnostics. Techniques of special interest are scanning laser topometry (SLT) for exact measurements of the optic disc and its cup and sc anning laser polarimetry (SLP) for precise assessment of the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. As glaucoma patients often suffer from a cataract, t oo, and a trabeculectomy additionally favors the advance of lens opacities, in the follow up of glaucoma patients cataract surgery is often necessary. Patients and methods The influence of cataract surgery in phacotechnique wi th intraocular lens implantation (31 PMMA-IOLs, Pharmacia/Upjohn, model 811 B, and 25 HEMA/MMA-IOLs, Technomed, Memory Lens) on SLT and SLP was evalua ted before and 3 to 4 weeks after cataract surgery in 56 eyes of otherwise healthy patients. Lens opacities were classified according to LOGS III. For SLT, we applied a TopSS, and for SLP a Nerve Fiber Analyzer II and a GDx ( LDT, USA). Results Our results show that SLT and SLP are mostly performable at lens op acities with visual acuity reductions down to 0.16. In SLT, we usually foun d no big differences in the assessed parameters before and after cataract s urgeries with IOL implantation. Standard deviations between three single me asurements were mostly smaller postop. In SLP, nerve fiber layer patterns w ere very similar before and after cataract surgeries with IOL implantation whereas total nerve fiber layer thickness values postoperatively were sligh tly higher. Conclusions Our results indicate that cataract surgeries with IOL-implantat ion have only mild influence on SLT and SLP. These findings seem to be of c linical interest especially in the follow up of glaucoma patients.