A Comparative Study on Surgically Induced Astigmatism after Phacoemulsification and Its Correlation with the Central Corneal Thickness

Background: Cataracts being a disease with a very high prevalence, have been treated with various surgical and conservative forms for centuries. The aim of our study was to determine the correlation between central corneal thickness (CCT) and post-operative astigmatism after phacoemulsification. Methods and Results: This prospective, observational study was carried out in the Clinic of Ophthalmology at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. The study included 101 eyes of patients who underwent cataract surgery with phacoemulsification for treatment and intra-ocular lens (IOL) implantation. Patients were divided into two groups, depending on the central thickness of the cornea. Group 1 included 29 patients who had CCT < 550 mu m and Group 2 included 72 patients who had CCT >= 550 mu m. The mean age of patients in Group 1 and Group 2 was 69.0 +/- 10.5 years and 70.1 +/- 10.8 years, respectively, without significant difference between groups. The right eye was affected in 54.6% of cases. The patients were followed up for the evaluation of post-operative astigmatism on Day 7, two weeks, and two months after the surgery. Astigmatism was lower in Group 2 than in Group 1 at all stages of the examination but without a statistically significant difference. We did not find significant correlations between the CCT and astigmatism after phacoemulsification. Conclusion: Results of our study show no significant correlation between CCT and SIA after cataract surgery with phacoemulsification.