Astigmatism following cataract surgery.

The changes in corneal curvature were determined at regular intervals over a one-year period following intracapsular cataract extraction by microsurgical techniques. During the first postoperative month photokeratometric measurements showed rapid changes in astigmatism associated with large changes in the direction of the axis. Thereafter astigmatism against-the-rule predominated. Data from the small group of patients who underwent surgery in which the technique of phacoemulsification was used show that the smaller changes in corneal curvature are attributable to the smaller incision size and reduced number of sutures. With patients who underwent intracapsular extraction a comparison has been made between the effects of large and small section sizes, and a procedure is outlined whereby surgically induced astigmatism may be minimised.