Effectiveness of Nasal and Temporal Limbal Incisions in Phacoemulsifi cation: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Purpose: Cataract is the most common cause of vision disorders and blindness worldwide. Phacoemulsifi cation is widely performed in the treatment of cataract; however, surgery-induced astigmatism is a major concern in this treatment. Selection of incision site is effective to improve outcomes. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of nasal and temporal limbal incisions on post-operative outcomes in phacoemulsifi cation. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 771 eyes of 514 patients (298 males, 58%; 216 females, 42%) were operated and data of 746 eyes (383 right eyes, 51.3%; 363 left eyes, 48.7%) were analyzed. Nasal and temporal limbal incisions were performed in the left and right eyes, respectively. Pre-operative keratometry (fl at and steep keratometry), axial length (AL), and intraocular lens power measurements as well as post-operative (1 month after the operation) keratometry and auto refractometry measurements were performed both for the right and left eyes of the patients. Results: The percentage changes in the keratometric measurements were higher in the nasal incision . Emmetropia was more achieved in the temporal incision in patients with an AL of 24 mm) AL. Better cylindrical diopter values were observed in the nasal incision in patients with an AL of