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.

Automated summary

The study found that there was minimal variation in refractive outcomes for patients with mild to moderate keratoconus and cataracts who underwent toric intraocular lens implantation. This suggests good clinical stability and predictability, with no statistically significant postoperative changes in refractive outcomes observed.