Calculation of the change in corneal astigmatism following cataract extraction.

Obtaining a minimal amount of postoperative astigmatism following cataract surgery is becoming increasingly important. One aspect of the patient's surgery which should not be overlooked is the preoperative keratometry which provides a basis for preoperative planning of surgical technique to be used and a point of reference for determining the amount of change in astigmatism produced by the surgery. Analysis of the surgically induced change in astigmatism using the calculations described in this paper will allow the surgeon to evaluate his own techniques and to maximize his potential for obtaining consistently good postoperative astigmatic results without the need for suture removal. The method presented is based upon concepts in common use in surgical ophthalmology and requires only simple mathematical procedures, familiar to all with a background in algebra and trigonometry.