Bilateral IOLs yield better driving vision

The results from a multicenter U.S. clinical study that included 147 patients with bilateral implants were presented by Dr. Lehmann at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Cataract TyPE questionnaire

"Multifocal IOL technology has advanced a long way since the first 'bulls-eye' bifocal design from IOLab," said Dr. Lehmann, who is in private practice in Nacogdoches and Southlake, TX.

"The journey is still continuing and we have not yet reached the final destination," he added. "However, with the +3-D version of the aspheric apodized diffractive multifocal IOL and proper candidate selection, it is possible to achieve excellent visual acuity and quality of vision outcomes with highly satisfied patients."

Assessing visual outcomes

The Cataract TyPE questionnaire, an instrument developed by Jonathan Javitt, MD, MPH, and colleagues for assessing visual outcomes after cataract surgery, includes five items relating to driving ability. Using a scale of 0 (no trouble or limitation) to 4 (extreme trouble or limitation), patients are asked to rate their daytime driving ability, nighttime driving ability, ability to read street and freeway signs, trouble with glare while driving toward the sun, and trouble with glare while driving toward oncoming headlights.

"The questionnaire asks patients to respond separately to each item considering their situation with and without glasses," Dr. Lehmann said.

"Preoperatively, patients perceived their abilities worse without their glasses than with their glasses," he said. "However, for the purpose of evaluating the outcomes of multifocal IOL implantation, comparison of the preoperative function with glasses and postoperative function without glasses is the most relevant."