Refractive outcomes of second-eye adjustment methods on intraocular lens power calculation in second eye

To investigate the refractive outcomes of second-eye adjustment (SEA) methods in different intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation formulas for second eye following bilateral sequential cataract surgery.

This retrospective consecutive case-series study included 234 eyes from 234 patients who underwent bilateral sequential phacoemulsification and implantation of enVista MX60 in a hospital setting. Postoperative refraction outcomes calculated by standard formulas (SRK/T and Barrett Universal II, BUII) with SEA method were compared with those calculated by an artificial intelligence-based IOL power calculation formula (PEARL DGS) under second eye enhancement (SEE) method. The median absolute error (MedAE), mean absolute error (MAE) and percentage prediction errors (PE) of eyes within ±0.25 diopters (D), ±0.50 D, ±0.75 D and ± 1.00 D were determined.

Overall, the improvement in MedAE after SEA was significant for PEARL DGS (p < 0.01), SRK/T (p < 0.001) and BUII (p = 0.031), which increased from 74.36, 71.37, and 77.78% to 83.33, 80.34, and 79.49% of eyes within a PE of ±0.50 D, respectively. For first eyes with a medium axial length (22-26 mm), PEARL DGS with SEE had the lowest MedAE (0.21 D). For a first-eye MAE over 0.50 D, SEA method led to significant improvement in the second eye (p < 0.01). Interocular axis length differences exceeding 0.3 mm were associated with weaker effects using SEA in the studied formulas (p > 0.05).

Either SEA method with SRK/T and BUII formulas or second-eye enhancement method based on the PEARL DGS formula can improve postoperative refractive outcomes in second eye.