Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the difference between preoperative and early postoperative astigmatism after superotemporal clear corneal incision during the phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Study type: Prospective cohort study Participants and methods: The study included 30 patients of both sexes, who underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery. All patients were examined by kerato-refractometer preoperatively and one month postoperatively, best corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure were measured by applanation tonometry. Comparison of astigmatism has been done immediately before the surgery and one month after the surgery, using the modified table for manual scoring of astigmatism. Results: The best corrected visual acuity after the phacoemulsification cataract surgery was significantly improved (median 1.0) compared to the one before the surgery (median 0.3) (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.001). In 4 (14 %) patients postoperative astigmatism was lower, in 13 (43 %) patients it remained unchanged and in 13 (43 %) patients it was higher than preoperative astigmatism. There was no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressure (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.05) or astigmatism (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.06). Intraoperative surgery parameters such as cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), aspiration time and volume of fluid used during the surgery did not have significant effect on astigmatic changes after the surgery (Kruskal Wallis test, for the CDE p = 0.11, for aspirated fluid volume p = 0.29, and for aspiration time p = 0.37). Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative astigmatism (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.06). That indicates that the superotemporal clear corneal incision has minimal effect on postoperative astigmatism.