Retinal image size in pseudophakia

Abstract

Purpose Approaches are developed to determine relative retinal magnifications in anisometropic patients undergoing cataract surgery; these can be used to balance between full spectacle corrections with equal intraocular lens (IOL) powers and a pure IOL power correction. Methods The analysis started from the original and pseudophakic Navarro eye models, where in the latter case an IOL replaced the natural lens. A third model was a simplified Navarro‐IOL model with a single surface cornea and a thin lens. These models were manipulated by altering vitreous length, corneal power and lens position. Retinal image sizes were determined for both full IOL corrections and full spectacle corrections by raytracing and approximate equations. Relative magnification (RM) was determined as the ratio of retinal image size of an eye to that of the appropriate standard eye. Results For raytracing and full IOL correction, vitreous length led to RM change of 5%/mm, while for corneal power and IOL position this was −0.4%/D and 1.4%/mm, respectively. For raytracing and spectacle correction, effects were 0%/D (vitreous depth), −1.6%/D (corneal power) and +1.0%/mm (IOL position). For full IOL correction, the approximate RM calculations were highly accurate. For spectacle correction, the approximate RM calculations were exact for vitreous length changes, reasonably accurate for corneal power changes but very inaccurate for changes in anterior chamber depth. Conclusion Relative magnification approximations may be useful to assess the risk of aniseikonia in anisometropic patients targeted for postoperative emmetropia. Some of these patients would be corrected best by a combination of spectacles and IOLs.