Objective To compare the accuracy of intraocular lens calculation formulas (Haigis, SRK Ⅱ, Hoffer Q, Holladay 1 and SRK/T) for eyes with short axial lengths measured by an IOL Master. Methods A retrospective analysis was done that included 23 patients (30 eyes) who had undergone phacoemulsification in the Department of Cataract at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College. The IOL Master was used to biometry and predict the refractive outcomes for every formula.Actual postoperative refraction was measured when the patients returned after 3 months. The differences between the predicted and actual postoperative refractions were analyzed for each formula.Results The mean predictive error of the Haigis formula was (0.02±0.58)D and 57% of the patients were within ±0.50 D of the prediction. There was a significant difference between predictions with the Haigis formula and the SRK Ⅱ formula (Z=-2.861, P=0.004). However there were no significant differences in predictions with the other formulas. Conclusion With short axial lengths,the Haigis formula is statistically better than the SRK Ⅱ formula. For clinic purposes, the Haigis formula is also more accurate than the others. The Haigis formula is accurate for eyes with short axial lengths.