Effect of Opposite Clear Corneal Incision (CCI) on Corneal Higher-Order Aberrations after Phacoemulsification

Abstract Background: Nowadays, care of a cataractous patient greatly exceeds surgical removal of the opacified lens. In a step foreword to welfare of the elderly, phacoemulsification can perform as a refractive tool, addressing both spherical and astigmatic refractive errors. Aim of Study: The aim of that work was to evaluate safety and effectiveness of OCCIs, as an innovative procedure for correction of corneal astigmatism, during phacoemulsification. Patients and Methods: The study assessed 64 patients, who underwent phacoemulsification. Pre-operative and post-operative corneal topography was done, documented and statistically analyzed for each patient. Results: The study revealed a decrease of pre-operative corneal astigmatism from a pre-operative mean of –1.78D to a post-operative mean of 1.09D in OCCI group and a decrease of pre-operative corneal astigmatism from a pre-operative mean of –1.71D to a postoperative mean of 1.29D in single incision group. Conclusion: The present study revealed that OCCIs with appropriate pre-operative corneal topography represent a real advance in the applications of refractive lenticular surgery. OCCIs provide an innovative technique for managing pre-operative, regular, corneal astigmatism. This is simple, easy to learn technique, with no extra instrumentation. The OCCIs in this study was safe, with no wound related complications. However, OCCIs require careful early post-operative care, due to their penetrating nature. Once the wounds are sealed, risk of further complications approaches zero. Further studies on that technique, employing different incision architecture are required to help development of nomograms correlating the incision length, width, age of the patient, and the amount of pre-operative corneal astigmatism to be corrected.