SURGICALLY INDUCED ASTIGMATISM IN 2.8 MM, 5.3 MM PHACOEMULSIFICATION AND 6.0 MM MANUAL SMALL INCISION CATARACT SURGERY

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the surgical induced astigmatism in Phacoemulsification done by 2.80 and 5.30 mm clear corneal incision and SICS done through superiorly placed 6.00mm scleral incision. METHODS: Group -1: 2.80 mm clear corneal, sutureless, temporally placed incision with phacoemulsification technique (PE); Group-2: 5.30 mm clear corneal, sutureless, temporally placed incision with phacoemulsification technique (PE); Group-3: 6 mm, straight scleral, sutureless, superiorly placed incision with manual small Incision cataract surgery (MSICS). RESULTS: Keratometric Cylinder (KC): The KC at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 month, was 1.26+/-0.54, 1.03+/-0.44, 0.99+/-0.36, 0.92+/-0.36 in group -1; 1.90+/-0.41, 1.53+/-0.29, 1.37+/-0.28, 1.37+/-0.28 in group -2 and 1.62+/-0.56, 1.43+/-0.68, 1.23+/-0.56, 1.21+/-0.49 in group 3 respectively.; Surgical Induced Astigmatism (SIA): The SIA at 1 week, 1 month, 3 month, was 0.64+/-0.32, 0.55+/-0.31, 0.48+/-0.32 in group -1; 1.00+/-0.40, 0.84+/-0.39, 0.84+/-0.39 in group -2 and 1.49+/-0.77, 1.39+/-0.46, 1.37+/-0.40 in group -3 respectively. After analysis, statistically significant (P<0.05) difference noted in keratometric cylinder & SIA between Group -1 v/s Group -2, Group -1 v/s Group -3 and Group -2 v/s Group -3 from day 1 & subsequent follow up. The preoperative parameters i. e. UCVA, mean keratometry & keratometric cylinder between the three groups were comparable. There was no statistically significant difference found between three groups preoperatively. CONCLUSION: Phacoemulsification 2.80 mm clear corneal temporal incision cataract surgery induces least SIA postoperatively, 5.30 mm incision induces 2nd least SIA & 6.00 mm straight superior scleral manual SICS induces the maximum SIA among the 3 groups.