Correlation of visual quality with satisfaction and function in a normal cohort of pseudophakic patients.

PURPOSE: To select a normal post-cataract-surgery cohort, determine visual quality parameters, and compare these parameters with self-reported satisfaction and visual function.

SETTING

John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

A cohort of pseudophakic patients was selected based on uneventful surgery, good corrected visual acuity (no worse than logMAR 0.02), and lack of ocular complaints or pathology including dry-eye syndrome or posterior capsule opacification. A single-piece high-refractive-index acrylic intraocular lens, age 50 or older, and at least 1 year out from surgery were other inclusion criteria. Testing included logMAR corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), mesopic 10% contrast logMAR CDVA with and without glare, straylight determination, Rasch-modified National Eye Institute Visual Function questionnaire 11R (NEI VF-11R), custom pseudophakic dysphotopsia survey, and overall satisfaction question. Correlations were determined between these parameters.

RESULTS

Of the 2953 patients considered, 70 patients met all criteria, provided consent, and enrolled. Only pseudophakic dysphotopsia (r = -0.60; P<.0001) and the NEI VF-11R (r = -0.44; P<.0001) correlated with overall satisfaction. In addition, pseudophakic dysphotopsia correlated with the NEI VF-11R (r = 0.58; P<.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

When evaluating a highly controlled population with expected high satisfaction after cataract surgery, pseudophakic dysphotopsia was clearly the only significant dissatisfier. Furthermore, dysphotopsia highly correlated with the NEI VF-11R questionnaire; thus, symptoms of dysphotopsia are also seen to have functional significance. A shortened NEI VFQ survey and satisfaction correlated strongly with the full survey.