Abstract
Purpose To assess the accuracy of streak retinoscopy performed at the end of cataract surgery as a predictor of final post-operative error.
Method Retinoscopy was performed on 68 patients as they lay on the operating table after routine cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation. In each case the predicted postoperative refraction by biometry and the retinoscopy at the end of the operation were compared with the 6 week post-operative subjective refraction.
Results The retinoscopy had a mean difference of 0.6 D (standard deviation of 0.5 D). The post-operative refraction predicted by biometric measurements had a mean difference of 1.6 D (standard deviation 0.6 D). When corrected for systematic error, 8% of patients were found to have an error of greater than 2 D as predicted by pre-operative biometry. Prediction by retinoscopy made no error greater than 2 D. The accuracy in the retinoscopic prediction of post-operative refraction was significantly better than the biometry using the F-test (p = 0.001).
Conclusion Retinoscopy at the end of cataract surgery may be a valuable tool to alert the surgeon to an unexpected refractive error. This would enable immediate intraocular lens exchange, if required.
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Tappin, M., Ferguson, V. Per-operative retinoscopy as a predictor of final postoperative refraction. Eye 13, 559–561 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.1999.138
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.1999.138
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Eye (2000)