[Reasonability of accounting for gender in intraocular lens power calculation]

The study assesses the influence of gender on the accuracy of intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation by formulas SRK/T, Barrett Universal II (BUII), Ladas super formula (LSF), Hill RBF (RBF) and Kane.

The study enrolled 214 patients (106 men and 108 women) who underwent cataract phacoemulsification (PE). Optical biometry was performed on IOL-Master 500. IOL power calculation was performed either adjusting for gender (formulas SRK/T, BUII, LSF) or without such adjustment (formulas RBF, Kane). Calculation error (CE) was assessed one month after PE by comparing the achieved (autorefractometer Topcon-8800) and target spherical equivalent of refraction.

Significant differences were found in mean IOL CE with gender-unspecific formulas (SRK/T, BUII, LSF) and no differences in gender-specific calculators (RBF, Kane). The Kane formula demonstrated the lowest CE between men and women (-0.01±0.43 versus -0.09±0.41 D; p=0.158), while the SRK/T formula had the highest CE (0.02±0.46 versus -0.21±0.44 D, respectively; p<0.001). Presence of a significant correlation between CE and gender was found for all formulas except Kane (R²=0.005, p=0.158).

Patient's gender has a significant impact on IOL calculation accuracy. Using gender-responsive formulas could help achieve better refractive results with PE. The present study showed Kane formula to have the least CE dependence from gender. However, the CE difference (less than 0.25 D) was lower than the value of division (0.5D) in modern IOL models.