INVERSE ARCUATE INCISION - A NEW APPROACH TO THE CORRECTION OF ASTIGMATISM

Standard concentric arcuate transverse corneal relaxing incisions flat ten the meridian incised and steepen the meridian 90-degrees away, a p henomenon designated ''coupling''. We have demonstrated a new method o f reducing the steep corneal curvature without inducing coupling, by u tilizing both transverse and radial components of an inverse arcuate i ncision. This technique has been found useful in cases of myopic astig matism because it reduces the myopic spherical equivalent, which is le ft unchanged by standard arcuate incisions, without having to place ra dial incisions.