COMPARISON OF POST OPERATIVE CORNEAL ASTIGMATISM BETWEEN SMALL INCISION CATARACT SURGERY (SICS) AND EXTRA CAPSULAR CATARACT EXTRACTION (ECCE)

Abstract

Background
 Cataract surgery is the most common type of surgery done by ophthalmologists. There are many methods of performing cataract surgery. Each of them has its own advantages and complications. Here we want to find the outcome of both the manual small incision cataract surgery and the conventional extracapsular cataract extraction surgery. 
 Objectives 
 To find the degree of postoperative corneal astigmatism in both manual small incision cataract surgery and the extracapsular cataract extraction surgery and compare these outcomes in both techniques.
 Patients and Methods
 We performed an experimental study conducted from January 2016 to June 2016 in Shahid Dr.Aso hospital ophthalmology department and Best Vision private hospital, Sulemani Province/Kurdistan Region of Iraq. One hundred cases were enrolled in the study, 50 cases underwent manual small incision cataract surgery and the other 50 underwent extracapsular cataract extraction surgery. All patients had their history taken, preoperative evaluation by (Slit-lamp examination, intraocular pressure measurement, indirect ophthalmoscopy for fundus examination, intraocular lens measurement, B-scan). Postoperatively; after 2 months, all cases in both groups were re-evaluated by the same measures of the preoperative examination.
 Results
 The mean postoperative uncorrected visual acuity in the manual small incision cataract surgery and extracapsular cataract extraction group was 6/9 and 6/12, respectively. The mean postoperative corneal astigmatism was 1.27+0.94 in manual small incision cataract surgery compared to 2.59+1.65 in the extracapsular cataract extraction surgery.
 Conclusion
 Both manual small incision and extracapsular cataract extraction techniques are safe and effective for visual rehabilitation of cataract patients. However, manual small incision cataract surgery gives better uncorrected visual acuity and less induced corneal astigmatism at 8 weeks postoperatively.