Determination of the time of refractive stability after uneventful phacoemulsification in Indian eyes

Knowledge about refractive stabilization and the accuracy of postoperative refractive error measurements are crucial for improved patient outcomes after phacoemulsification. Existing guidelines typically recommend waiting 4-6 wk before prescribing corrective lenses. Our research focused on identifying factors that influence refractive errors in the early stages of post-cataract surgery, thus contributing to the existing literature on this topic.

To investigate the time required for refraction stability after uneventful phacoemulsification surgery.

We compared the variation and statistical significance of the difference in spherical, cylindrical components, and the spherical equivalent between the 1- and 6-wk follow-up period in a group of 257 eyes that underwent uneventful phacoemulsification with foldable intraocular lens implantation, all performed by a single experienced surgeon. The Wilcoxon-Signed Rank Test was utilized to assess the magnitude of the change and determine its statistical significance. The refractive stability was defined as the point at which the change in spherical equivalent was within ± 0.5 dioptres for two consecutive visits.

The average age of the patients was 64.9 ± 8.9 yr. The differences observed in both the visits in spherical power (0.1 ± 0.2), cylinder power (0.3 ± 0.4), and spherical equivalent (0.2 ± 0.2) were minimal and not statistically significant. The majority of eyes (93.4%) achieved refractive stability within 6 wk after the surgery. The cylindrical power differed between age groups at the 6^th wk post-operative and the difference was statistically significant (P value 0.013). There were no significant differences in refractive stability when considering sex and axial length.

Phacoemulsification with foldable intraocular lens implantation results in no significant changes in refraction for the majority of cases during the 6-wk follow-up period. Therefore, a spectacle prescription can be given at the completion of 1 wk.