title: Paired opposite clear corneal incisions to correct preexisting astigmatism in cataract patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the astigmatic correcting effect of paired opposite clear corneal incisions on steep axis in cataract patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sligo General Hospital, Sligo, Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen eyes of 14 cataract patients with a mean age of 78.4 years +/- 6.38 (SD) (range 69 to 90 years) were recruited for the study. Inclusion criterion was topographic astigmatism of more than 2 diopters (D) in the cataractous eye. Preoperative refraction, autokeratometry, and topography were performed. The steep axis was marked before sub-Tenon's anesthesia was given. Paired 3-step self-sealing opposite clear corneal incisions were made 1 mm anterior to limbus on the steep axis with a 3.2 mm keratome. One incision was used for standard phacoemulsification, and the other was left unused for astigmatic correction. All the patients had day-case surgery. The first follow-up was at 1 month. Postoperative topography, keratometry, and refraction were performed on all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean preoperative and postoperative topographic corneal astigmatism were 3.26 +/- 1.03 D (range 2.30 to 5.80 D) and 2.02 +/- 1.04 D (range 0.20 to 4.00 D), respectively. Mean astigmatic correction was 1.23 +/- 0.49 D (range 0.30 to 2.20 D). Mean surgically induced astigmatism by vector analysis was 2.10 +/- 0.79 D (range 0.80 to 3.36 D). There were no incision-related complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paired opposite clear corneal incisions on the steep axis is a useful way to correct astigmatism in cataract patients, requiring no extra skill or instrumentation.
authors.affiliation: Eye Department, University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland. abidchauhan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Abid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qammar
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mullaney
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007646:Keratotomy, Radial / Q000379:methods*; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology