Toric intraocular lenses for correcting astigmatism in 130 eyes

Objective: This study evaluated the results after implantation of toric int raocular lenses (IOLs) to correct preexisting corneal astigmatism in patien ts undergoing either cataract or clear lens extraction surgery. Design: Retrospective, noncomparative case series. Participants: One hundred thirty eyes of 99 patients who underwent phacoemu lsification and posterior chamber toric IOL implantation from January 1997 through February 1998 were included in the study. Intervention: Implantation of a toric IOL was performed after cataract surg ery (122 eyes) or clear lens extraction surgery (eight eyes). Both preopera tive corneal cylinder and refractive cylinder powers were more than 1.50 di opters (D) for all the eyes included in this study. To provide a comparison , we also studied 51 eyes of 45 patients meeting the same preoperative crit eria for degree of corneal and refractive cylinder who underwent implantati on of a spherical (nontoric) IOL combined with limbal relaxing incisions. T he data for both study and comparison groups were analyzed retrospectively. The selection for the two groups was arbitrary. Main Outcome Measures: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), mean spherical equ ivalent, residual refractive cylinder, and toric IOL axis. Results: In the toric IOL group, 84% of eyes achieved 20/40 or better UCVA. In the spherical IOL group, 76% achieved 20/40 or better UCVA. The mean po stoperative refractive cylinder was -1.03 +/- 0.79 D in the toric IOL group and -1.49 +/- 0.75 D in the spherical IOL group. Conclusions: Our results indicate that phacoemulsification and posterior ch amber toric IOL implantation is a largely predictable new surgical option t o correct preexisting corneal astigmatism in cataract or clear lens extract ion surgery. Ophthalmology 2000;107:1776-1782 (C) 2000 by the American Acad emy of Ophthalmology.