Toric IOLs good choice to correct astigmatism

Residual astigmatism plays an important role in the quality of visual outcome after cataract surgery, so astigmatism correction must be targeted during cataract surgery. This is especially relevant in cases over 3 D of corneal astigmatism, said Jorge Alio, MD at the Acri.Tec symposium.

"Cataract surgery should not induce or change pre-existing astigmatism. It needs to be controlled, stable and precise and correction should not induce other optical changes, such as increased aberrations as this will cause a shift in the spherical correction of the eye," said Dr Alio.

Toric IOLs are a good choice because they offer full correction of the whole refractive error, and may correct for an unlimited amount of astigmatism.

Dr Alio outlined one cataract patient with preoperative UCVA counting fingers at 2 metres, with refraction of -4.5 sphere -6.5 and cylinder of 10. The patient underwent microincision cataract surgery (MICS) with Acri.Tec's Acri.Comfort 646 TLC implantation. The power was refraction +15.5, sphere +6.5 and cylinder of 100, achieving postoperative goal refraction of -0.27 sphere and -0.11 cylinder.

"Immediately, in the first postoperative day, the patient achieved 0.2 UCVA," said Dr Alio. "At three months postoperatively the patient had a UCVA 0.4, BCVA 0.5 with a refraction of 1, sphere -1 and cylinder 130," enthused Dr Alio.

The Acri.Comfort 646 is the only commercially available Toric MICS IOL, and it offers an unlimited amount of astigmatic correction during cataract surgery, according to Dr Alio. "Its rotational stability is excellent, and it gives outstanding refractive outcomes. It is the Toric pseudophakic IOL of choice in our clinic," he concluded.