AIM: To investigate the clinical significance of aberrations difference using OPD-Scan aberrations tester after phacoemulsification.

METHODS: Totally 1000 cataract patients(1 425 eyes)with nuclear grade II with phacoemulsification and IOL implantation in our hospital from January 2013 to December 2016 were selected, with 996 cases(1421 eyes)met the inclusion criteria and received corneal wavefront aberrations examination by the same technicians at preoperative 1d and postoperative 3mo to get the 6 order 27 items Zernik coefficients, RMS1～6, RMSg and RMSh, contrast on Zernik coefficient, RMS1～6 and RMSg and RMSh. Intraocular lens type and RMS's Logistic regression analysis were conducted, the IOL on postoperative RMS was analyzed.

RESULTS: The statistics showed that among 1-27 items of Zernik coefficient, only Z4, Z9, Z12 and Z24 before and after surgery showed significant difference(P<0.05), and each postoperative Zernik coefficient dropped sharply than that before surgery, there was difference before and after surgery(P<0.05). After operation, RMS1, RMS2, RMS3, RMS4, RMS5, RMS6, RMSg and RMSh decreased markedly than those before operation(P<0.05). There was no significant difference on RMS between different types of IOL before operation(P>0.05). RMS3, RMS4, RMS5, RMSg and RMSh of the aspheric surface were significantly lower than those of the spherical IOL group(P<0.05). There was no significant difference on visual acuity(LogMAR)between the two groups before operations(P>0.05). At 3mo after the operation, visual acuity were significantly better than those before surgery, and the LogMAR visual acuity was better in the aspheric IOL group(P<0.01). By Pearson analysis, the overall higher order aberrations and Z420 were negatively correlated with the best corrected visual acuity after surgery(r=-0.354, -0.269; P<0.05), while Z400 had a positive correlation with postoperative best corrected visual acuity(r=0.279, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: RMS1～6, RMSg and RMSh aberrations reduce markedly than those before operation after phacoemulsification and IOL implantation. There is a certain relevance between the higher order aberrations and postoperative visual acuity. High-order aberrations are related to the choice of intraocular lens type, aberration measurement shall be taken to assure a reasonable and scientific selection of intraocular lens type.