ILLUMINATED NEAR CARD ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ACUITY IN EYES WITH CATARACT

Objective: This study aimed to determine the accuracy and potential ro le of the illuminated near card (INC) for predicting visual outcome af ter cataract surgery in eyes with and without comorbid disease. Study Design: A consecutive case series. Participants: A total of 101 preope rative patients with cataracts participated. Main Outcome Measures: Ac curacy of predicted postoperative distance acuity was measured. Method : The preoperative acuity obtained with the INC was compared by linear regression to the postoperative INC acuity and the postoperative dist ance acuity for 100 consecutive eyes undergoing cataract surgery. Vari ables analyzed were preoperative distance acuity and the presence or a bsence of comorbid disease. Results: The preoperative INC acuity was s ignificantly predictive of postoperative INC (P = 0.0005) and postoper ative distance (P = 0.0007) acuities for the 100 eyes studied. For the subgroup of 15 eyes with 20/200 or worse, the preoperative INC acuity was not predictive of postoperative INC acuity (P = 0.8673) or postop erative distance acuity (P = 0.8789), For the 21 eyes with comorbid di sease, the predictions were more accurate for postoperative INC acuity (P < 0.0001) and postoperative distance acuities (P < 0.0001) than fo r 64 eyes without comorbid disease: postoperative INC acuity (P = 0.00 51), and postoperative distance acuity (P = 0.0046). The INC predicted postoperative distance acuity to within two lines in 98% of eyes when preoperative distance acuity was 20/100 or better, When the preoperat ive distance acuity was 20/200 or worse, the postoperative distance vi sion was predicted to within two lines in only 53% of the eyes. Conclu sion: The INC can be a useful adjunct for predicting postoperative dis tance acuity in eyes with cataract that have preoperative distance acu ity of 20/100 or better, particularly in eyes with comorbid disease, i n which the clinical judgment of vision potential may be difficult.