Intraoperative aberrometry guides IOL choice

San Francisco-New clinical data suggest that an improved intraoperative aberrometer can help improve clinical outcomes for patients who receive an aspheric, hydrophobic IOL.

Dee Stephenson, MD, said she has used the WaveTec Vision system since it was introduced about 5 years ago. The company’s latest iteration of its intraoperative wavefront aberrometer (ORA System) provided dramatic improvements, she said. Her practice uses the system to evaluate and select the lens power for patients who are undergoing implantation of the IOL (enVista, Bausch + Lomb).

“[The system] is easy to use and improved my outcomes by about 20% over older systems,” said Dr. Stephenson, of Stephenson Eye Associates in Venice, FL.

She presented data on a series of 50 consecutive patients. The system was used during each procedure to perform an aphakic measurement, which was followed by a pseudophakic measurement after the implantation. All 50 patients were assessed for uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after IOL implantation.

Analysis of the results showed that the mean absolute prediction error was 0.17, Dr. Stephenson noted, and the standard deviation was just 0.11. The majority of her patients, 90%, were within 0.50 D of the predicted postoperative SE. Nearly all of her patients, 99%, emerged from the implantation with uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/40 or better and 90% had 20/20 vision or better.

“I am getting better than LASIK-like results and I’m within 0.25 D of my target in most of my patients,” Dr. Stephenson said. “These results show that the use of the system is a valuable tool in helping [patients with cataracts] achieve the best possible vision after IOL implantation.”