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The following is a summary of “Refractive Accuracy of a Novel Swept-Source OCT in Patients With Short and Long Eyes,” published in the January 2025 issue of Ophthalmology by Rementería-Capelo et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the refractive accuracy of a novel swept-source optical coherence biometer (SS-OCT) using individual refractive indices to measure axial length in short and long eyes implanted with monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs).  

They analyzed eyes with short axial length (AL) (<22.5 mm) or long AL (>26 mm), bilaterally implanted with the Acrysof IQ monofocal IOL. Preoperative assessments were made with the Argos biometer, and IOL calculations were performed using the Barrett Universal II (BUII) formula, 1 month after surgery, refractive and visual outcomes and prediction errors were calculated. A back calculation of prediction errors was also done using the Barrett True Axial Length (BTAL) formula, and the results of both formulas were compared.  

The results showed that 60 eyes of 60 patients (30 with AL < 22.5 mm (short) and 30 with AL > 26 mm (long)) were included. Post-surgery, monocular UDVA (uncorrected distance visual acuity) was 0.03 ± 0.10 and 0.10 ± 0.15 logMAR for short- and long-eye groups, respectively. In short eyes, the mean prediction error (MPE) with BUII and BTAL were 0.19 ± 0.34 D and 0.00 ± 0.35 D, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean absolute error (MAE) was 0.32 ± 0.22 D with BUII and 0.29 ± 0.20 D with BTAL (P = 0.21). In long eyes, MPE with BUII was −0.15 ± 0.35 D and −0.13 ± 0.36 D with BTAL (P = 0.08), while MAE was 0.31 ± 0.21 D with BUII and 0.32 ± 0.20 D with BTAL (P = 0.33). Over 75% of eyes in both groups and formulas had a prediction error within ±0.5 D of the postoperative spherical equivalent (P > 0.05).  

Investigators concluded the novel SS-OCT biometer, utilizing individual refractive indices, demonstrated promising refractive accuracy with the BUII and further improved accuracy with an optimized BTAL formula, suggesting its potential for accurate IOL power calculations in eyes with extreme AL. 

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/joph/9987580