Cornea
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Comparative Study
Prospective study of corneal topographic changes produced by extracapsular cataract surgery.
Cataract surgery is known to induce refractive and corneal astigmatism, but little is known regarding the specific corneal topographic alterations produced by this surgery. We evaluated the corneal topographic effects of extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) performed with an 8- to 11-mm posterior limbal incision closed with interrupted sutures and subsequent selective suture removal. Corneal topography was analyzed in 15 eyes with the TMS-1 videokeratoscope preoperatively, before selective suture removal 4-6 weeks after surgery, 2-5 weeks after selective removal of sutures, and at 5 1/2-8 months after surgery. ⋯ A few patients developed against-the-rule astigmatism ranging from 0.6 to 2.2 diopters. ECCE significantly altered corneal tomography compared with the preoperative contour in all patients. In those patients in whom surgically induced nonspherical and noncylindrical distortions occur (radially asymmetrical power distribution, lack of central corneal smoothness), corneal topography may provide information that is useful for management.