Managing residual refractive error after cataract surgery

Abstract

We present a review of keratorefractive and intraocular approaches to managing residual astigmatic and spherical refractive error after cataract surgery, including laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), arcuate keratotomy, intraocular lens (IOL) exchange, piggyback IOLs, and light-adjustable IOLs. Currently available literature suggests that laser vision correction, whether LASIK or PRK, yields more effective and predictable outcomes than intraocular surgery. Piggyback IOLs with a rounded-edge profile implanted in the sulcus may be superior to IOL exchange, but both options present potential risks that likely outweigh the refractive benefits except in cases with large residual spherical errors. The light-adjustable IOL may provide an ideal treatment to pseudophakic ametropia by obviating the need for secondary invasive procedures after cataract surgery, but it is not widely available nor has it been sufficiently studied.