AcrySof IQ toric IOL implantation combined with limbal relaxing incision during cataract surgery for eyes with astigmatism >2.50 D.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effectiveness of toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation combined with limbal relaxing incision (LRI) for patients with high-amplitude astigmatism. METHODS This single-center, prospective study evaluated 22 eyes of 19 patients with cataract and >2.50 diopters (D) astigmatism that underwent bimanual micro-phacoemulsification cataract surgery and toric IOL implantation combined with LRI. Pre- and 6-month postoperative uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity (UDVA and CDVA, respectively), subjective cylindrical error, refractive cylindrical error, keratometric cylinder, and corneal topography were compared. Vector analysis of change in keratometric cylinder was compared pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS Pre- and postoperative logMAR UDVA were 0.82 ± 0.46 and 0.13 ± 0.19, respectively; pre- and postoperative logMAR CDVA were 0.35 ± 0.39 and 0.005 ± 0.13, respectively. Mean postoperative refractive cylindrical error was 1.07 ± 0.60 D. Although predicted residual astigmatism after implantation of the toric IOL was 1.42 ± 0.76 D, pre- and postoperative subjective cylindrical error and keratometric cylinder changed from 3.90 D to 0.94 D and from 3.46 D to 1.80 D, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that the combined surgery of toric IOL implantation and LRI is effective in patients with high-amplitude astigmatism >2.50 D.