Browse articles on EyeWorld.org from the Refractive section. EyeWorld is the award-winning member publication of ASCRS. The magazine provides news and updates from the Society as well as clinical features in the areas of cataract, refractive, cornea, glaucoma, and practice management. It publishes quarterly with editorial direction from its medical editorial board and staff.
Two physicians shared their thoughts on the various ways to manage astigmatism, what levels to treat, and how they decide the best option for each patient.
Detecting irregular astigmatism early has taken on greater importance, particularly in the context of cataract surgery planning and patient satisfaction. Understanding how these findings are detected and why they matter clinically is becoming an essential part of preoperative evaluation, according to sources who weighed in on the topic.
Refractive Editor Karolinne Rocha, MD, PhD, shared her thoughts on the topics covered in the Refractive section of this issue. “… I regularly see patients who are unhappy after surgery, particularly among patients who are revealed to have irregular astigmatism on the topography missed preoperatively,” she said.
EyeWorld spoke with two experts on the topic of when the Ks don’t align—when misalignment is clinically significant, what can be done about it, and how it impacts lens choices.
In refractive surgery, achieving 20/20 vision has long been treated as the finish line. But experienced surgeons know that a perfect Snellen score doesn’t always translate into a satisfied patient. One surgeon thinks the true measure of success is something less quantifiable, but far more meaningful: a 20/happy outcome.
While not a common approach or its primary indication, the ICL (STAAR Surgical) can be used as a supplementary/piggyback IOL in some patients. Three physicians discussed how this off-label approach to using the ICL is opening doors to treat certain patients.
Karolinne Rocha, MD, PhD, shared what readers can expect in the Refractive section of this issue and provided some of her own thoughts on the topics.
Nailing outcomes with presbyopia-correcting IOLs is important for many reasons—one of them being patient expectations, as they are paying out of pocket for an advanced-technology lens. But even when you’ve had an excellent surgery, postop complaints can trickle in, and the possible causes for the dissatisfaction are diverse.
Dysfunctional lens syndrome has evolved from a theoretical framework to a clinically validated tool that’s reshaping patient education and surgical decision making. The dysfunctional lens staging system now plays a role in identifying the right intervention at the right time, particularly in the growing field of custom lens replacement.
While laser vision correction and IOL exchange remain the preferred methods for correcting residual refractive error, two ophthalmologists said there is still a place for piggyback IOLs. They spoke about when they would consider a piggyback IOL, their preferred lenses, and their thoughts on newer generation IOL options.