Background and objective: To evaluate the effect of pterygium surgery on refractive spherocylinder power and corneal topography.
Patients and methods: Twenty-four patients (27 eyes) undergoing pterygium surgery from January to December 2006 were retrospectively identified. Visual acuity, refractive spherocylinder power, and corneal topography were measured preoperatively and postoperatively.
Results: Improvement of visual acuity, decreases of refractive spherocylinder power, and significant differences of 3-mm topographic irregularity and 3-mm topographic astigmatism postoperatively were found. Differences of refractive spherocylinder power preoperatively and postoperatively correlated significantly with differences of 3-mm topographic irregularity (spherical, r = 0.828, P = .000; cylinder, r = -0.805, P= .000) and of 3-mm topographic astigmatism (spherical, r = 0.673, P= .000; cylinder, r = -0.811, P = .000) preoperatively and postoperatively.
Conclusion: Pterygium surgery produces improvements in visual acuity, decreases of refractive spherocylinder power, topographic irregularity, and topographic astigmatism. Three-millimeter topographic irregularity and astigmatism have a close correlation with refractive spherocylinder power.