To evaluate preoperative and postoperative spherical aberrations after cataract surgery based on selecting spherical or aspheric intraocular lens (IOL) according to preoperative corneal aberration.

The medical records of patients who underwent phacoemulsification and IOL implantation in the posterior chamber by a surgeon (H.J.C) were reviewed (68 patients, 97 eyes). IOL was selected based on preoperative corneal spherical aberration measured by corneal topography (ATLAS 9000, Carl Zeiss). The target postoperative total ocular spherical aberration was set to zero (0) and one of the following lenses was chosen: Acrysof SA60AT (n = 25), Acrysof IQ (n = 36) or Tecnis® ZCB00 (n = 36). The Wavescan aberrometer and the corneal topography were obtained postoperatively. Absolute prediction errors of postoperative total ocular spherical aberration were analyzed.

Preoperative corneal spherical aberration was 0.241 µm; total postoperative ocular spherical aberration was 0.0509 µm (Acrysof SA60AT: 0.0954 µm, Tecnis® ZCB00: 0.0374 µm, Acrysof IQ: 0.0335 µm). Postoperative corneal spherical aberration was 0.232 µm, which was not significantly different from the preoperative value ( p = 0.199). Postoperative ocular spherical aberration was 0.051 µm; 0.095 µm (Acrysof SA60AT), 0.034 µm (Acrysof IQ), and 0.037 µm (ZCB00). The reducing amounts of spherical aberration were 0.185 µm (Acrysof IQ) and 0.311 µm (ZCB00). The overall absolute prediction error was 0.068 µm. The absolute prediction error of the Acrysof SA60AT group was 0.092 µm, Tecnis® ZCB00 group was 0.067 µm and Acrysof IQ group was 0.054 µm. There was no significant difference among the 3 groups ( p = 0.089).

Aspheric IOLs can efficiently reduce total ocular spherical aberrations according to preoperative corneal spherical aberrations.