Corneal Posterior Curvature Changes After Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery with 2.75 mm Corneal Incision

The aim of this study was to evaluate the corneal posterior curvature changes after phacoemulsification cataract surgery, with intraocular lens implantation, with a temporal limbal self-sealing 2.75 millimeters (mm) corneal incision, using a Placido-dual rotating Scheimpflug device. In this prospective intervention study, corneal posterior curvature changes were evaluated in fifty-six patients (56 eyes). All patients underwent corneal tomography using the Galilei G2 (Ziemer Ophthalmic System AG, Port, Switzerland) preoperatively (PRE) and with two weeks (RP15), one month (RP30), and three months (RP90) after phacoemulsification cataract surgery with a temporal limbal self-sealing 2.75 mm incision. Tomographic parameters analyzed in the posterior cornea were the steep curvature (K2), flat curvature (K1), mean curvature (average K), and posterior corneal astigmatism. We did not observe any statistically significant change in the K2, K1, average K, and posterior corneal astigmatism in any postoperative follow-up measurements (RP15, RP30, RP90), showing that the postoperative values tend to be the same as the preoperative ones when measured with the Galilei G2 tomography.  In conclusion, the 2.75 mm temporal limbal self-sealing corneal incision in phacoemulsification cataract surgery does not induce significant changes in the posterior corneal curvature parameters of K2, K1, average K, and astigmatism.