Astigmatism and the analysis of its surgical correction

• Published in: British journal of ophthalmology Vol. 85; no. 9; pp. 1127 - 1138
• Main Authors: MORLET, NIGEL, MINASSIAN, DARWIN, DART, JOHN
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JR BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01-09-2001; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Algorithms; Astigmatism; Astigmatism - etiology; Astigmatism - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Care and treatment; Cataract; Cataracts; Eye; Eye surgery; Humans; Medical errors; Medical sciences; Methods; Models, Biological; Myopia; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures - adverse effects; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures - methods; Refractive errors; Statistics as Topic; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the eye and orbit; Surgical outcomes; Treatment Outcome; United States; Human; Postoperative; Eye disease; Treatment; Vision disorder; Analysis; Surgery; Refractive error; Preoperative; Technique; Vector; Astigmatism
• ISSN: 0007-1161; 1468-2079
• DOI: 10.1136/bjo.85.9.1127

[...]the effect of wound healing is continuous and inappropriately summarised by vector analysis, which does not give a measure of outcome. Because of the different effects of "with the rule" and "against the rule" astigmatism on vision, when comparing different groups or methods, the outcome is best evaluated using a summary measure that assigns a relative value to the result such as Naeser's or Cravy's method. Better evaluation of the effect of astigmatism axis requires the use of the "by the rule" or mirror equivalent axis notation, or by a manual scoring method to produce an outcome summary measure. [...]different methods of analysis are available to study the effect of surgery on astigmatism, several may be required to summarise both process and outcome.