Refractive stabilization after temporal phacoemulsification with foldable acrylic intraocular lens implantation

Purpose: To determine the rate of stabilization of refractive error after t emporal small incision phacoemulsification with insertion of an acrylic fol dable intraocular lens (IOL) (AcrySof (R) MA30). Setting: A university hospital anterior segment referral practice. Methods: The records of 100 consecutive patients with good visual potential having phacoemulsification with acrylic IOL implantation who had good visu al acuity on the first postoperative day were reviewed. Refractive data at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 and 4 months were compared. Results: The mean spherical equivalent refraction was +0.31 diopter (D), -0 .33 D, -0.51 D, and -0.35 D at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 4 months, respec tively. Cylinder by refraction was 1.17 D, 1.09 D, 0.96 D, and 0.99 D, resp ectively. From 1 week on, the cylinder power and axis did not differ signif icantly from that at 4 months. At 1 week, the spherical equivalent was with in +/-0.50 D of the 4-month refraction in 66.1% of eyes and the cylinder wa s within +/-0.50 D in 72.9%. At 1 month, the corresponding values were 87.1 % and 85.7%. Conclusion: The refractive error stabilized rapidly after temporal phacoemu lsification with acrylic IOL implantation. (C) 2001 ASCRS and ESCRS.