Validation of keratometric measurements obtained with an intraoperative image-guided system: intra-session repeatability and interchangeability with an optical biometer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the intra-session repeatability of keratometric measurements obtained in healthy eyes with the Verion image-guided system (Alcon Laboratories Inc, Fort Worth, Texas, USA) as well as the interchangeability of such measurements with those obtained with an optical biometer (Aladdin, Topcon, Tokyo, Japan).

METHODS

A total of 53 eyes of 53 patients (age 31-67 years) were enrolled in the study. All eyes received a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination including an analysis with the Verion image-guided and Aladdin systems. Three consecutive measurements of keratometry were obtained with the Verion system to assess the intra-session repeatability. Within-subject standard deviation (Sw ) and intraobserver precision (± 1.96 × Sw ) were calculated. Bland-Altman analysis was used for the interchangeability analysis.

RESULTS

Mean Sw was 0.26, 0.24 and 0.10 D for the keratometric power in the flattest meridian (K1), keratometric power in the steepest meridian (K2) and astigmatism, respectively. Mean Sw was 4.29° for the axis of the flattest corneal meridian (AX1). Statistically significant but clinically acceptable differences were found in K1, K2 and keratometric astigmatism among systems (p < 0.01). In contrast, differences among systems in AX1 were not statistically significant (p = 0.385) but clinically relevant (mean difference: 15.74°; limits of agreement: -30.93 to 62.41°).

CONCLUSIONS

The Verion system provides consistent measurements of keratometric parameters, with measurements of AX1 that are not interchangeable with that provided by the optical biometer Aladdin, especially in cases of low and oblique astigmatism.