A pinhole implant to correct postoperative residual refractive error in an RK cataract patient

PURPOSE: To report the clinical outcomes after implantation of a pinhole supplementary implant (Xtrafocus, Morcher GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany) to correct fluctuating residual refraction after cataract surgery in a patient with a history of radial keratotomy (RK). OBSERVATIONS: A 62-year-old patient who had radial keratotomy 22 years earlier, underwent uneventful bilateral cataract surgery using the ASCRS IOL-Calculator for post-RK. Postoperatively, the patient showed fluctuating subjective manifest refraction (MR) on both eyes. To correct the large fluctuating residual refractive error and subjectively worse visual acuity, Xtrafocus IOL was implanted in the right eye. One week later, the uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was already 0.1 logMAR and the patient stated to have stable vision. Three months after Xtrafocus implantation, the UDVA was −0.04 logMAR which did not improve with MR and the patient expressed high satisfaction, good subjective binocular contrast sensitivity, comparable visual field outcomes, and an elongated depth of focus. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: The pinhole sulcus implant not only helped eliminate the fluctuation in residual refraction after cataract surgery, but also provided an elongated depth of focus without greatly affecting the visual field. The supplementary implantation of the Xtrafocus lens can offer an effective option for the treatment of instable refractive errors after cataract surgery in patients with a history of corneal surgery.