Comparison of refractive and keratometric astigmatism after microincision cataract surgery.

Purpose: To measure the correlation between refractive and keratometric astigmatism after microincision cataract surgery (MICS). Setting: Takayanagi Clinic, Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Methods: This study evaluated patients having phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation through a 2.0 mm temporal clear corneal incision. Refractive astigmatism and keratometric astigmatism were described by Jackson cross-cylinder with-the-rule (J0) and oblique (J45) components and compared using linear regression analysis.

Results: The study comprised 90 eyes of 54 patients. The mean postoperative refractive J0 was -0.29 diopter (D) ± 0.46 (SD), and the mean postoperative refractive J45 was -0.09 ± 0.24 D. The multivariate model for the J0 component was postoperative J0 = 0.75 × keratometric J0 + 0.21 × preoperative J0 - 0.23 (R2 = 0.85, P < .001). The coefficient of determination of the multivariate model was higher than that of the univariate model (R2 = 0.82). The regression equation for the J45 component was postoperative J45 = 0.85 × keratometric J45 - 0.03 (R2 = 0.70, P < .001).

Conclusion: Refractive astigmatism and keratometric astigmatism after MICS were strongly correlated.