Objective: This study evaluated the results after implantation of toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) to correct preexisting corneal astigmatism in patients undergoing either cataract or clear lens extraction surgery.

Methods: Retrospective, noncomparative case series. Methods: One hundred thirty eyes of 99 patients who underwent phacoemulsification and posterior chamber toric IOL implantation from January 1997 through February 1998 were included in the study. Methods: Implantation of a toric IOL was performed after cataract surgery (122 eyes) or clear lens extraction surgery (eight eyes). Both preoperative corneal cylinder and refractive cylinder powers were more than 1.50 diopters (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 criteria for degree of corneal and refractive cylinder who underwent implantation of a spherical (nontoric) IOL combined with limbal relaxing incisions. The data for both study and comparison groups were analyzed retrospectively. The selection for the two groups was arbitrary. Methods: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), mean spherical equivalent, 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 postoperative 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 chamber toric IOL implantation is a largely predictable new surgical option to correct preexisting corneal astigmatism in cataract or clear lens extraction surgery.