Changes in refraction induced by change in intraocular lens position

Abstract

Background: Intraocular lens (IOL) decentration and tilt may affect postoperative refractive errors through spherical aberration of the IOL.

Methods: Through a use of a ray-tracing program and by minimizing algorithm, we calculated theoretical refractive errors for various degrees of IOL decentration and tilt. We compared our results with those obtained by paraxial vergence calculations.

Results: IOL decentration and/or tilt shifted postoperative refractive errors toward myopia and astigmatism of oblique origin. For example, a 3-millimeter decentration of an IOL resulted in induction of approximately -2.00 diopters (D) sphere and +0.70 D cylinder. IOL tilt affected refractive errors to a lesser degree. The change in refractive error caused by a combination of IOL decentration and tilt depended on the relationship between the geometrical axes of decentration and tilt. In the case of the least favorable combination of 12 degrees of tilt and 3 mm of decentration, it can reach -7.00 D sphere and +4.00 D cylinder.

Conclusions: IOL decentration and/or tilt increase myopia and astigmatism. They are negligible for small decentrations, but could be sources of substantial postoperative refractive errors if the decentration or tile is large.