Researchers in Australia recently found that most people who undergo monovision cataract surgery have less need for reading glasses and are generally pleased with their vision after surgery.
Conventional cataract surgery procedure often produces excellent uncorrected distance visual acuity, but near vision typically is blurred, requiring patients to wear reading glasses. In monovision cataract surgery, the surgeon intentionally makes one eye mildly nearsighted, which often enables the patient to see acceptably well up close without “readers.”
Monovision cataract surgery: Study design
The study evaluated 26 patients who had successful full-correction cataract surgery in one eye and agreed to have cataract surgery performed on the second eye that would leave that eye moderately nearsighted for a monovision correction.
The target refractive endpoint for the second eye was -1.00 to -1.50 diopters (D) of myopia.
Data gathered pre-operatively and three to four months after surgery included visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereopsis. The patients also were questioned to determine their overall satisfaction and their degree of spectacle independence.
Monovision cataract surgery: Study results
Findings of the study determined three to four months after cataract surgery on the second eye included:
- The mean refractive difference between the two eyes (the amount of myopia in the “near eye” when the first eye had a perfect distance correction) was -1.16 D.
- 92 percent of patients achieved uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/30 or better.
- 92 percent of patients attained uncorrected near vision of 20/32 or better.
- All patients maintained good stereopsis (depth perception) and contrast sensitivity.
When questioned about how happy they were with the results, cataracts patients were generally satisfied with their vision after monovision cataract surgery.
One fourth of patients had no need for prescription eyeglasses; one patient required glasses full-time. The remaining patients needed glasses only for specific tasks, such as reading.
No patients required IOL exchange or other additional refractive surgery, such as PRK, Epi LASIK eye surgery or LASEK eye surgery.
Conclusion
The researchers concluded that monovision cataract surgery of the type performed in the study produces good visual outcomes and patient satisfaction without troublesome visual symptoms sometimes associated with multifocal IOLs.
SOURCE: Patient satisfaction and visual function after pseudophakic monovision. Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. June 2009.
Tags: monovision, vision correction, visual acuity