[Cataract surgery at the Berlin Virchow clinic. Overview of the last 16 years]

The aim was to compare the different techniques of cataract surgery regarding early postoperative astigmatism and visual acuity.

The data of three groups of patients (100 eyes) were analyzed retrospectively (1980-1982; 1987-1990; 1991-1993). Three different techniques of cataract surgery were used. Included in the prospective study were the data for 285 eyes, which underwent phacoemulsification, self-sealing incision and controlled induction of astigmatism.

In the time period retrospectively investigated, we found that because of the advancements in operation methods, there was a reduction in the amount of surgically induced astigmatism. From 1980 to 1995 there was a clear increase in the number of patients with early low-grade postoperative astigmatism < 1 D (1980-1982: 6%, 1987-1990: 19%, 1991-1993: 64%, 1994-1995: 84%). There was an improvement in postoperative vision (with correction > 0.5) of 16% in 1980-1982 to 45% from 1987 to 1990, 58% from 1991 to 1993, and to 76% in 1994-1995.

Surgical induced a stigmatism, which was considered to be a sign of unwanted increased postoperative astigmatism, was reduced from 1980 to 1993. Through controlled induction of astigmatism it was possible to compensate for preoperative astigmatism in the prospective group. Improved surgical techniques led to improvements in early postoperative visual acuity.