Predictability of ocular spherical aberration after cataract surgery determined using preoperative corneal spherical aberration

Purpose: To evaluate the predictability of total postoperative spherical aberration after aspheric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation using preoperative corneal spherical aberration. Setting: Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. Methods: Corneal and ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs) were analyzed preoperatively and postoperatively in eyes having cataract extraction with aspheric IOL implantation. The predicted postoperative total spherical aberration Z(4,0) was calculated by adding the preoperative corneal spherical aberration and the labeled spherical aberration of the IOL. The prediction error of the postoperative total spherical aberration was calculated by subtracting the predicted postoperative total spherical aberration from the postoperative total spherical aberration. Surgically induced corneal spherical aberration was calculated by subtracting the postoperative from the preoperative corneal spherical aberration. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative corneal spherical aberration, 3rd-order aberration, or HOAs. The prediction error of the postoperative total spherical aberration was within ±0.05 μm in 9 (24.3%) of the 37 eyes evaluated and within ±0.10 μm in 18 eyes (48.6%). Statistically significantly correlations were found between the surgically induced corneal spherical aberration and prediction error of postoperative total spherical aberration, the preoperative corneal spherical aberration and surgically induced corneal spherical aberration, and the preoperative corneal spherical aberration and prediction error of postoperative total spherical aberration. Conclusions: Predictability of postoperative ocular spherical aberration after cataract surgery with aspheric IOL implantation was insufficient because of the surgically induced corneal spherical aberration. Considering surgically induced corneal spherical aberration could improve the predictability of postoperative ocular spherical aberration. Financial Disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.