To measure changes in ocular biometrics required for calculating intraocular lens powers during cataract surgery on phakic eyes undergoing implantation of a collamer lens (AQUA ICL [STAAR Surgical Company, Monrovia, CA, USA] or an Artiflex® lens [Ophtec BV, Groningen, Netherlands]) to correct myopia.

A total of 45 eyes of 23 patients who underwent implantation of iris-fixated or posterior chamber phakic intraocular lenses (pIOLs) for correction of myopia >−7D were evaluated using the euphakic mode of the IOL Master® 500 (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) prior to pIOL implantation. After implantation, the axial length (AL) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured 1 month postoperatively using both the euphakic and pseudophakic modes of the instrument. We compared differences between predicted IOL powers calculated using the Sanders-Retzlaff-Kraff/Theoretical (SRK/T) and Haigis formulae.

Seventeen eyes (37.8%) receiving ICL and 28 (62.2%) Artiflex® pIOL implants were included in the study. After pIOL implantation, ALs measured by the euphakic and pseudophakic modes of the IOL Master were significantly longer ( p = 0.03, p < 0.0001) and ACDs significantly shorter ( p < 0.0001, p <0.0001, respectively) than preoperatively. The changes after surgery were less when the euphakic rather than the pseudophakic measurement mode was employed. The postoperative IOL powers predicted by the SRK/T (−0.03D, p = 0.023) and Haigis formulae (−0.06D, p = 0.001) were significantly lower that the preoperative values. However, the differences were small and did not influence IOL power selection.

After pIOL implantation, AL changes were less when measured using the euphakic rather than the pseudophakic mode of the IOL Master. Although the ACDs differed significantly after pIOL implantation, the changes were too small to influence IOL power calculations. ACD measurements differed significantly from those of AL after IOL implantation. Thus, a pIOL implantation history may affect biometric findings during cataract surgery.