Corneal marking methods reduce astigmatism

Accurate corneal marking before surgery leads to a reduction in astigmatism.

The randomized, examiner-masked clinical trial, led by Dr N. Popp, Vienna Institute for Research in Ocular Surgery, Vienna, Austria, enrolled 60 patients with astigmatism. Four corneal astigmatic marking methods were tested: marking at the slitlamp with an insulin needle, a pendular marker, a bubble marker and a tonometer marker. A standardized photographic technique was used to document the corneal marks and the rotational deviation and vertical misalignment were assessed.

The pendular-marking device demonstrated the least rotational deviation to the reference medium and there was no statistically significant difference between slitlamp marking and pendular marking.

However, there was a significant difference between the pendular marker and the tonometer marker. The slitlamp-marking device presented with the least vertical misalignment, but there was no statistically significant difference in vertical misalignment between the four corneal markers.

To read the abstract please visit the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.