Purpose: To analyze biometric parameters and patterns of corneal astigmatism in cataract surgery patients using optical low-coherence interferometry in Northern United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Methods: Axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), horizontal corneal diameter (white to white, WTW) and flat and steep keratometry (K1 and K2, respectively) were optically measured using optical low-coherence interferometry (Aladdin). Ocular datasets acquired between 2015 and 2018 were collected and analyzed.
Results: This study evaluated 238 eyes of 123 cataract patients with a mean age of 67.1 ± 9.4 years. Mean AL, ACD, WTW, K1, and K2 were 23.22 ± 0.99 mm, 3.05 ± 0.36 mm, 11.19 ± 0.46 mm, 43.72 ± 1.80 diopter (D), and 45.04 ± 1.71 D, respectively. Mean corneal astigmatism was 1.32 ± 0.97 D. Corneal astigmatism of 1.5 D or greater was found in 32.4%. With the rule, against the rule, and oblique astigmatism were found in 29.8%, 57.1%, and 13.0% of eyes, respectively.
Conclusions: Results of this study provide normative data for cataract surgery as an informative reference in Northern UAE, the Middle East. This study showed higher corneal astigmatism in Northern UAE than those in other countries.
Keywords: Biometric parameters; Cataract surgery; Corneal astigmatism; Middle East; Optical low-coherence interferometry.