Estimation of Average Intraocular Lens Power for Cataract Surgeries in Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka: A Single-Centre Retrospective Descriptive Study

Introduction The Sri Lankan economic crisis that began in 2019 led to the suspension of cataract services in many districts. Although humanitarian missions were quick to supply materials, there was a lack of scientific evidence to predict the required intraocular lens power for patients with cataracts. This study aimed to assess the average lens power among patients from Trincomalee district, Sri Lanka, based on sex and age groups. Methods Eye theatre records at District General Hospital Trincomalee were used to assess cataract surgeries between April 2022 and July 2023. Age, sex, side of intraocular lens insertion, and intraocular lens power (selected using ultrasound biometry and the SRK/T formula) were assessed. Results We assessed 1,045 patient records, comprising 476 male patients (46%) and 557 female patients (53%). The intraocular lenses used for the patients ranged from 3 to 30 diopters (D). The average lens power for the entire population was 22.95 D. It was significantly higher for the female patients (23.11 ± 2.519 D) compared with the male patients (22.75 ± 2.250 D) (p = 0.0168). Among the age groups, the highest prevalence of cataracts was in those aged 60-79 years. Conclusions Our findings provide a useful guide for surgical planning in a resource-constrained setting such as the Trincomalee district. While the prevalence of cataracts by age and sex is in accordance with global statistics, the average diopter size is slightly higher compared to Western, African, and other Asian populations.