Accuracy of partial coherence interferometry in patients with large inter-eye axial length difference

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Optics
• Refractive Surgery

Background:

• Cataract surgery requires precise biometry for accurate intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation.
• Inter-eye differences in axial eye length (AEL) can pose challenges for refractive outcomes.
• Partial coherence interferometry (PCI) is a common biometry technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of PCI in patients with significant inter-eye AEL differences (> 0.30 mm).
• To compare refractive prediction errors between patients with and without large inter-eye AEL differences.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 2212 eyes from 1617 patients undergoing cataract surgery.
• Inclusion criteria: inter-eye AEL difference > 0.30 mm (cases) vs. no significant difference (controls).
• IOL power calculated using SRK/T, Holladay II, and Hoffer Q formulae; refractive prediction error analyzed.

Main Results:

• 131 case eyes and 131 control eyes were matched.
• Mean absolute error (MAE) ranged from 0.47 D to 0.69 D and was not statistically different between groups.
• No significant difference in refractive prediction error or proportion of eyes with >= 0.50 D or 1.00 D error.

Conclusions:

• Good-quality PCI data demonstrates equal accuracy in eyes with or without large inter-eye AEL differences.
• Confirmatory AEL measurements may be unnecessary for patients with substantial inter-eye AEL disparities.
• PCI is reliable for IOL calculation in diverse patient populations.