Evaluation of the accuracy of modern intraocular lens calculation formulas when optical biometry is not possible

Abstract

This study evaluates the accuracy of modern intraocular lens (IOL) calculation formulas using axial length (AL) data obtained by ultrasound biometry (UBM) compared to the third-generation SRK/T calculator. The study included 230 patients (267 eyes) with severe lens opacities that prevented optical biometry, who underwent phacoemulsification (PE) with IOL implantation. IOL power calculation according to the SRK/T formula was based on AL and anterior chamber depth obtained by UBM (Tomey Biometer Al-100) and keratometry on the Topcon KR 8800 autorefractometer. To adapt AL for new generation calculators - Barrett Universal II (BUII), Hill RBF ver. 3.0 (RBF), Kane and Ladas Super Formula (LSF) - the retinal thickness (0.20 mm) was added to the axial length determined by UBM, and then the optical power of the artificial lens was calculated. The mean error and its modulus value were used as criteria for the accuracy of IOL calculation. A significant difference (p=0.008) in the mean IOL calculation error was found between the formulas. Pairwise analysis revealed differences between SRK/T (-0.32±0.58 D) and other formulas - BUII (-0.16±0.52 D; p=0.014), RBF (-0.17±0.51 D; p=0.024), Kane (-0.17±0.52 D; p=0.029), but not with the LSF calculator (-0.19±0.53 D; p=0.071). No significant differences between the formulas were found in terms of mean error modulus (p=0.238). New generation calculators showed a more frequent success in hitting target refraction (within ±1.00 D in more than 95% of cases) than the SRK/T formula (86%). The proposed method of adding 0.20 mm to the AL determined by UBM allows using this parameter in modern IOL calculation formulas and improving the refractive results of PE, especially in eyes with non-standard anterior segment structure.