Abstract

Purpose: to measure changes in posterior corneal curvature after steep axis phacoemulsification and investigate the possibility of its effect on SIA. Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study on 60 consecutive eyes of age-related cataract with regular astigmatism and absence of co-morbidities undergoing uneventful cataract surgeries with main incision at steep meridian. Pre-operative and 4 weeks post- operative measurements of anterior and posterior corneal curvatures using Scheimpflug based corneal topographer was performed. Posterior corneal curvature was assessed at 3-, 5- and 7-mm diameters. Results: The study found a statistically significant change in posterior corneal K1, K2 and mean astigmatism in all zones (3, 5 and 7mm) at 4 weeks post-operative, when compared to pre-operative readings. Conclusion: Posterior keratometry is likely to be an important determinant of Surgically Induced Astigmatism (SIA) and should be factored in for refractive cataract surgery.