Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research · Published 2025-09-02 · DOI 10.18502/jovr.v20.15132
Purpose: To evaluate the time required for refractive error (RE) stabilization after standard phacoemulsification cataract surgery and identify preoperative factors influencing this duration. Methods: This prospective case series study enrolled patients who had undergone phacoemulsification cataract surgery. RE stabilization was defined as <0.50 diopter changes in spherical equivalent (SE) over two consecutive follow-ups. Participants underwent ophthalmic examinations at baseline and postoperative days 3, 7, 14, 28, and 60. Keratometric values (K-mean), corneal astigmatism, and axial length (AL) were measured preoperatively using a biometric device. Results: A total of 163 eyes from 163 patients were included. RE stabilization occurred by day 28 in 98.8% of eyes, reaching 100% by day 60. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, gender, type of cataract (nuclear, cortical, or posterior subcapsular), best-corrected visual acuity, absolute SE, and K-mean did not significantly influence the time to RE stabilization (Ps > 0.05). AL demonstrated a significant negative association with the time to RE stabilization (ß = –0.445, P < 0.001). Moreover, eyes with lower preoperative corneal astigmatism exhibited a shorter time to RE stabilization (ß = 1.001, P < 0.001). Conclusion: RE stabilization is typically observed 4 weeks post-cataract surgery. Eyes with lower AL and higher corneal astigmatism exhibit a comparatively slower RE stabilization following surgery.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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