PURPOSE: To evaluate the distance, intermediate and near visual acuity of patients with bilateral cataract operated on both eyes corrected for distance in one eye and for near in the fellow eye, as well as, their stereo acuity and their general satisfaction. SETTINGS: Hospital de Olhos de São Paulo and Complexo Hospitalar Padre Bento - Guarulhos - São Paulo - Brazil. METHODS: This is a prospective study of 76 eyes of 38 patients with bilateral cataract aiming to become spectacle free after surgery. The patients were operated on both eyes; the first eye was corrected for distance and the fellow eye for near vision. The refractive error was programmed between -0.5 D and +0.5 D in the first eye and -2.00 D in the second eye. Patients with preoperative corneal astigmatism equal or higher than 1.0 D were excluded from the study. The uncorrected and best-corrected distant visual acuity (UCDVA, BCDVA) were tested, as well as the uncorrected near visual acuity (UCNVA) and collected at the 3 postoperative months. The Titmus test was performed at the last follow-up. Finally, the modified questionnaire VF-7 was applied and the patient was required to choose, regarding their general satisfaction, between very satisfied, satisfied, or unsatisfied. RESULTS: All patients achieved uncorrected distant visual acuity 20/40 or better (mean SE 0.625 D) and uncorrected near visual acuity J3 or better (mean SE -2.0 D), and intermediate visual acuity J3 in 90%. The Titmus test revealed an average of 197" of arc with reduction of stereo acuity in most of patients as expected and 97.3% of patients demonstrated to be satisfied or very satisfied with this technique. CONCLUSION: It consists in a viable technique for correction of near, intermediate and distant vision on cataract surgery as demonstrated by the high rate of satisfaction (97.3%) by the modified VF-7 questionnaire, especially when the patient has no access to a multifocal intraocular lens.
Cataract extraction; Refraction, ocular; Lens implantation, intraocular; Phacoemulsification; Visual acuity; Vision tests; Patient satisfaction
