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Toric IOLs offer safe, effective method to correct astigmatism
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BARCELONA — Toric IOLs offer an excellent opportunity to correct astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery, a surgeon said here.
 Jorge L. Alió |
In addition to correcting other refractive errors present in the eye, toric IOLs can correct an unlimited amount of astigmatism with optimal optical quality.
"More sophisticated methods for implantation axis control will improve and simplify the future use of the technology," Jorge L. Alió, MD, PhD, said at the Surgical Control of Astigmatism Symposium at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.
He said that to optimize outcomes in toric IOL surgery, cataract surgeons need to reconvert surgery to microincision cataract surgery or use a mini 2.2-mm corneal incision in addition to using a microincision IOL adapted to the incision size.
Dr. Alió said a critical step to optimizing patient outcomes is the precise detection of the astigmatic axis to correct. Additionally, adequate toric IOL calculators to correct corneal toricity should be used, and patients need to be checked at the slit lamp prior to discharge.
"The use of toric IOLs will drive the final evolution of cataract surgery toward mini and microincision surgical techniques," he said.
Dr. Alió, in his presentation, impressed the importance of effective outcomes analysis and used this to differentiate performance of two different toric implants. Dr. Alió detailed a vectorial analysis to identify the relative efficiency of the two. These included success indices, correction accuracy and errors such as a misalignment gauge of an implant (angle of error) which could assist in reducing any remaining refractive cylinder by a simple implant rotation in the early postoperative period.
– Noel A. Alpins, FRACO, FRCOphth
OSN
Refractive Surgery Board Member