Regular Astigmatism Under 3.00 D When Eyeglasses Did Not Achieve 20/25 Acuity
This protocol applies to patients with regular astigmatism of less than 3.00 D who have not achieved satisfactory corrected visual acuity with spectacle correction alone.
Clinical scenario: In regular corneal astigmatism, refractive power varies successively from one meridian to the next, with each meridian having a uniform curvature. This document defines the low-to-moderate range as regular astigmatism of less than 3.00 D.
Why the previous line was insufficient: The first-line approach — eyeglasses with cylindrical (spherocylindrical) correction — did not achieve corrected visual acuity of 20/25 or better. Full cylindrical correction may not be tolerated initially, and substantial changes in axis or power are poorly accepted, leaving some patients underserved by spectacles alone.
References
In regular corneal astigmatism, the refractive power varies successively from one meridian to the next, and each meridian has a uniform curvature.
In this document, low to moderate refractive errors are defined as spherical equivalents of less than 6.00 diopters (D) of myopia, less than 3.00 D of hyperopia, and less than 3.00 D of regular astigmatism.
Low to moderate astigmatism can be corrected with soft toric contact lenses or with rigid gas-permeable contact lenses.
View source ↗