Femtosecond Laser-assisted Arcuate Keratotomy Versus Toric IOL Implantation for Correcting Astigmatism.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of femtosecond laser-assisted arcuate keratotomy (FS-AK) versus toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation for correcting astigmatism in patients with cataract.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review was performed. All patients had senile cataracts with corneal astigmatism (range: +1.00 to +3.00 diopters [D]) before cataract surgery. Twenty-five patients agreed to undergo toric IOL implantation (the toric IOL group). Twenty-three patients did not agree to undergo toric IOL implantation despite astigmatism; however, these patients were not satisfied with their remaining astigmatism following cataract surgery and requested astigmatism correction using FS-AK (the FS-AK group). Visual acuity and intraocular pressure were evaluated, and automated refraction, keratometry, and slit-lamp examinations were performed at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 5 months after surgery.


RESULTS
Refractive astigmatism decreased in both groups. The mean preoperative and postoperative refractive cylinders were 1.71 ± 1.15 and 0.78 ± 1.06 D, respectively, in the FS-AK group (P < .001) and 1.67 ± 0.13 and 0.83 ± 0.097 D, respectively, in the toric IOL group (P < .001). There were no statistically significant differences between groups at any time during the follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
FS-AK is a fast, customizable, adjustable, precise, and safe procedure for reducing refractive errors in patients with residual astigmatism after cataract surgery. The results of this procedure are comparable to the toric IOL.
Aeri
A
Yoo
Samyoung
S
Yun
Jae Yong
JY
Kim
Myoung Joon
MJ
Kim
Hungwon
H
Tchah
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D048988:Corneal Surgery, Laser; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology