The Stabilization Time of Ocular Measurements after Cataract Surgery

Purpose: To determine the stabilization time of automated refraction, ocular biometric parameters, keratometry, and central corneal thickness (CCT) and to find the optimal time for glasses' prescription after cataract surgery. Methods: This was a prospective, case series study of 62 consecutive eyes with senile cataracts. Patients undergoing uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery were included in the study. Automated refraction, keratometry, ocular biometric parameters, and CCT were recorded at baseline before cataract surgery and at follow-up visits at one day, one week, two weeks, and four weeks after surgery. Results: The study was composed of 62 eyes of 62 patients with a mean age of 66 +/- 12.38 (range, 40 to 84 years). The automated refraction stabilized one week after surgery and changed minimally between the first week and the first month after cataract surgery. The stabilization of average keratometric corneal astigmatism in keratometry, average anterior chamber depth, and CCT was achieved after the second postsurgical week. Conclusion: It may be possible to prescribe glasses starting from two weeks after an uneventful phacoemulsification cataract surgery for most patients.