Mahtab Alam Khanzada, Arshad Ali Lodhi, Nisar Ahmad Siyal, Shahid Azeem Mirza.
Change in Pre Existing Corneal Astigmatism after Phacoemulsification through Clear Corneal Incision.
J Liaquat Uni Med Health Sci Jan ;12(03):151-5.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the change in pre existing corneal astigmatism after closing superonasal incisions by single 10/0 suture and by simple hydration at the time of cataract surgery with phacoemulsification through clear corneal incision. DESIGN: Prospective, comparative and interventional. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro, during the period from Jan 2011 to Sept 2011. METHODS: This prospective study included 244 left eyes. All eyes went phacoemulsification through a clear corneal incision (3.0 mm) superonasally. First 122 eyes were closed with single 10/0 sutures and remaining 122 with simple hydration. Magnitude of astigmatism was measured by keratometer at 1 week, 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively. Vector analysis method was used to calculate the surgical induced astigmatism. SPSS version 11.0 was used to analyze the data. P value 0.05 was considered significant. RESULT: Out of 244 patients 59.42% were males and 40.57% were female. The mean pre operative astigmatism was >1.0 D. In early days there no significant change in post operative astigmatism (0.50 ± 0.45 D / 0.75 ± 0.50 D, p value < 0.001) was found, but statistically significant change in magnitude of astigmatism (0.84 ± 0.69 D / 2.25 ± 0.70 D, p value 0.05) and Surgically Induced Astigmatism (0.81 ± 0.62D / 1.12 ± 0.94D) was found in first and second group respectively at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Closing of clear corneal incision superonasally with our technique in the left eyes is easy during phacoemulsification for right-handed surgeon without fear of increase in pre existing astigmatism.

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