Biometry is, by definition, the name given to any measurement of physical, biological and even behavioural aspects performed on living beings.
Ocular biometry is an examination that allows us to measure the various anatomical structures of the eye, providing indispensable data, such as the axial length and depth of the eye's anterior chamber, essential for a more correct and precise calculation of the intraocular lens that will be chosen to implant in a cataract surgery.
This examination is a fast and non-invasive technique, which is carried out without any type of preparation on the part of the patient.
The axial length of the eye can be measured, using ultrasound, by contact or immersion, measuring the distance from the corneal apex to the internal limiting membrane (retina).
Optical biometrics are now used because they are more accurate. There are several biometers available in the market, with several different technologies, the most recent ones use the technology of (Swept-Source) OCT. However, ultrasound biometry can be fundamental in cases where optical biometry loses effectiveness or cannot be performed, such as in the presence of pathologies that cause severe opacity of the optical media like dense cataracts or corneal leukomas.
With the evolution of biometers, the exams are faster, reproducible, more independent of the operator and an alignment with the visual axis, as the current devices follow the eye, managing to maintain the alignment during the exam and more reliable and precise measurements.
