Postoperative Astigmatic Outcomes Based on the Haptic Axis of Intraocular Lenses Inserted in Cataract Surgery

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare post-operative astigmatic outcomes of two groups, with-the-rule (WTR) and against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism patients, according to the haptic axis of intraocular lenses (IOLs) inserted in cataract surgery. METHODS: Seventy-two eyes with WTR astigmatism and 79 eyes with ATR astigmatism had cataract surgery through a clear corneal temporal incision. These two groups of eyes were then each divided into 2 groups based on whether the haptic axis of the inserted IOL was at 180° or 90°. For ATR patients, the outcomes were analyzed according to the three types of IOLs. RESULTS: There was no difference in corneal astigmatism, but WTR patients with a 180° haptic axis of the inserted IOL and ATR patients with a 90° hepatic axis of the inserted IOL had a significant decrease in postoperative refractive astigmatism (p < 0.05). The changes in ATR astigmatism according to the IOL type were more effective in single-piece acrylic IOLs than in the three-piece polymethylmethacrylate haptic IOL group. CONCLUSIONS: Insertion of the IOL at the 180° haptic axis in WTR patients and at 90° in ATR patients during cataract surgery may have an effect in reducing pre-existing astigmatism. This observed effect was not consistent among the different types of IOLs.