Prediction of Visual Function After Cataract Surgery

Presents a model for predicting visual functional improvement after cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation, based on preoperative data. The study included serial evaluations of visual function preoperatively and at 3 and 12 months post- surgery. Results indicated that 40 percent of the patients had substantial, and 19 percent had some, improvement postoperatively, as measured by the Activities of Daily Vision Scale (ADVS). Predictors of improvement included younger age, poorer preoperative ADVS score, posterior subcapsular cataract, and absence of age-related macular degeneration and/or diabetes. When applied to an independent sample of patients, these five predictors classified the patients into three groups in which the probabilities of substantial improvement were 85, 34, and 3 percent, thus verifying the discriminatory power of the prediction rule. The authors conclude that a scale such as the ADVS can be used in combination with preoperative clinical factors to identify patients preoperatively who are likely to benefit from cataract surgery.