Role of Oral Vitamin 'C' on Astigmatic Errors in Phacoemulsification

Purpose: To evaluate the role of oral vitamin C on postoperative astigmatism in phacoemulsification and to assess its effect on postoperative symptoms. Methods: The patients were selected from Department of Ophthalmology, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur who came for cataract surgery. Design: Prospective, randomized double-blind study; 400 consecutive patients of cataract were randomized into two groups consisting of 200 patients each. Group "A" patients were started on oral vitamin C (1,500 mg per day in three divided doses) from the first postoperative day and Group "B" patients were given routine postoperative medications along with placebo. The keratometry of both the groups was done preoperatively and postoperatively at 2, 4, and 6 weeks. All patients underwent temporal clear corneal phacoemulsification by the same surgeon. Results: The mean difference of astigmatism preoperatively in the right eye of Group "A" patients was 1.049 ± 0.971 which reduced to 0.680 ± 0.554 at 6 weeks postoperatively (p-value = 0.0018), whereas in Group B, it changed to 1.141 ± 0.771 at 6 weeks from 1.116 ± 0.566 of preoperatively (p-value = 0.759). In the left eye of Group "A" patients, its value was 0.995 ± 0.899 which changed to 0.574 ± 0.528 at 6 weeks (p-value = 0.0001) which was highly significant, whereas that in Group "B" patients, it was 0.733 ± 0.440 preoperatively which modified to 0.877 ± 0.581 at 6 weeks (p-value = 0.004). In Group "A," 0.5% patients had pain, foreign body sensation, and photophobia at 6 weeks, whereas in Group "B" patients, 5% had pain, 1.5% had foreign body sensation, 1% had photophobia, and 0.5% had watering. Conclusion: Oral vitamin C may play a beneficial role in decreasing the postoperative astigmatism. It also enhances patients' comfort levels and ensures faster recovery after phacoemulsification.