Long-term refractive outcomes in patients with cataracts and keratoconus after phacoemulsification with toric intraocular lens implant.

PURPOSE: To determine the refractive stability of patients with keratoconus and cataracts after the implantation of a toric intraocular lens.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional, retrospectivestudy. Clinical records from patients with non-progressive keratoconus and cataracts that underwent non-complicated phacoemulsification with toric IOL implantation were reviewed. Mean keratometry (Km), refractive cylinder (RC), spherical equivalent (SE), steeper keratometry (K), and axis were evaluated at the 1-month, 6-month, 12-month, and 24-month follow-up visits.

RESULTS

Fifty-four eyes from 41 patients were included. Thirty-seven (68.5%) female and 17 (31.5%) male patients, with a mean age of 67.52 ± 8.22. Refractive cylinder at postoperative 30 days was -1.61 ± 1.23, 6-month -1.22 ± 0.80, 12-month -1.10 ± 0.83 and 24-month visit after surgery was -1.37 ± 0.77(p = 0.290). SE at the 30-day visit was -0.82 ± 1.90, 6-month -0.64 ± 1.23, 12-month -0.78 ± 1.91 and at 24-month postoperative visit -1.02 ± 1.87 (p = 0.210). Km value at the 1-month visit was 47.23 ± 1.95, 6-month 47.87 ± 1.61, 12-month 46.39 ± 2.52 and 24-month postoperative visit 46.92 ± 1.26 (p = 0.877). The steeper K axis in the 30-day control was 78.53 ± 30.12, 6-month 77.29± 37.68, 1-year 93.13 ± 62.42, 24-month 67.31 ± 38.49 (p = 0.632).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest a low variation in the refractive outcome for patients with mild and moderate keratoconus and cataracts, without evident progression signals, a demonstrated keratoconus clinical stability. No statistically significant postoperative changes in the refractive cylinder, SE, mean K, and steeper K axis were observed, which suggests good predictability for toric IOL implant.