Functional visual outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with 20/20 or better preoperative visual acuity.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the visual outcomes after cataract surgery in patients with 20/20 or better preoperative visual acuity.


METHODS
University-based cataract referral practice.


METHODS
In this retrospective case review, 2 groups of patients with a corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/20 or better in both eyes before cataract surgery were identified. Patients in the first group had a cataract in 1 eye and an intraocular lens (IOL) in the other eye. Patients in the second group had cataracts in both eyes. Each patient completed a Visual Function 14 (VF-14) questionnaire before and after cataract surgery. Changes in VF-14 scores were analyzed.


RESULTS
The VF-14 scores improved significantly after cataract surgery in both groups. Patients with cataract in 1 eye and an IOL in the other eye before surgery (n = 28) had a mean improvement of 12.2 in the VF-14 score (P = .029). Patients with cataract in both eyes (n = 31) had a mean improvement of 14.5 in the VF-14 score (P<.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The functional vision of patients with 20/20 or better preoperative CDVA improved significantly after cataract surgery. This finding shows that arbitrary CDVA thresholds of worse than 20/20 cannot always be used to determine who will benefit from cataract surgery.
Amesbury
Eric C
EC
Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095-7002, USA.
Grossberg
Anna L
AL
Hong
Donna M
DM
Miller
Kevin M
KM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D019466:Glare; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015349:Vision, Monocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*