Purpose:
To evaluate the early postoperative visual and refractive effects of a 3.25 mm clear corneal self-sealing incision with foldable intraocular lens implantation.
Setting:
The Eye Institute of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Methods:
Visual acuity and refraction in 50 eyes of 50 consecutive patients having clear corneal phacoemulsification were prospectively evaluated at 30 minutes, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 and 3 months postoperatively.
Results:
Uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better was obtained in 38% of eyes 30 minutes after surgery, 52% at 1 day, and 89% at 3 months. There was no significant refractive cylinder change (
P = .093). Visual rehabilitation and refractive stability were rapid, and induced astigmatism was low. A strong positive correlation was found between refraction at 30 minutes and that at 3 months after surgery (
R = .5788,
P = .0003). The visual and refractive examination performed 30 minutes after surgery could help early detection of incorrect IOL power selection.
Conclusion:
The low induced astigmatism, excellent early visual acuity, and lack of surgical complications support the concept and justify the use of small temporal corneal incisions for cataract surgery.
