Image-guided system versus manual marking for toric intraocular lens alignment in cataract surgery

Purpose To compare the accuracy of toric intraocular lens (IOL) alignment using the Verion Image-Guided System versus a conventional manual ink-marking procedure. Setting University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands. Design Prospective randomized clinical trial. Methods Eyes with regular corneal astigmatism of at least 1.25 diopters (D) that required cataract surgery and toric IOL implantation (Acrysof SN6AT3-T9) were randomly assigned to the image-guided group or the manual-marking group. The primary outcome was the alignment of the toric IOL based on preoperative images and images taken immediately after surgery. Secondary outcome measures were residual astigmatism, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), and complications. Results The study enrolled 36 eyes (24 patients). The mean toric IOL misalignment was significantly less in the image-guided group than in the manual group 1 hour (1.3 degrees ± 1.6 [SD] versus 2.8 ± 1.8 degrees; P =.02) and 3 months (1.7 ± 1.5 degrees versus 3.1 ± 2.1 degrees; P <.05) postoperatively. The mean residual refractive cylinder was −0.36 ± 0.32 D and −0.47 ± 0.28 D in the image-guided group and manual group, respectively (P >.05). The mean UDVA was 0.03 ± 0.10 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) and 0.04 ± 0.09 logMAR, respectively (both P >.05). No intraoperative complications occurred during any surgery. Conclusion The IOL misalignment was significantly less with digital marking than with manual marking; this did not result in a better UDVA or lower residual refractive astigmatism.