Refractive stabilization after temporal phacoemulsification with foldable acrylic intraocular lens implantation

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Cataract surgery is a common procedure to restore vision.
• The choice of intraocular lens (IOL) material can influence postoperative refractive outcomes.
• Understanding refractive stabilization is crucial for patient satisfaction and visual rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the rate of refractive error stabilization following temporal small incision phacoemulsification.
• To assess the performance of the AcrySof MA30 acrylic foldable intraocular lens (IOL) in terms of refractive stability.
• To determine the predictability of refractive outcomes after cataract surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 100 consecutive patients undergoing phacoemulsification with acrylic IOL implantation.
• Analysis of refractive data collected at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 4 months postoperatively.
• Comparison of spherical equivalent and cylinder power to assess refractive stability.

Main Results:

• Mean spherical equivalent refraction showed rapid convergence towards stability by 1 week and 1 month.
• Cylinder power and axis demonstrated significant stability from 1 week onwards compared to 4 months.
• At 1 month post-surgery, 87.1% of eyes achieved spherical equivalent within +/-0.50 D and 85.7% within +/-0.50 D for cylinder.

Conclusions:

• Refractive error stabilizes quickly after temporal small incision phacoemulsification with acrylic IOL implantation.
• The AcrySof MA30 IOL contributes to predictable and stable refractive outcomes.
• Early refractive stability suggests a favorable visual recovery profile for patients.