[How do patients assess their visual acuity after intracapsular cataract extraction and correction with eyeglasses]

In the investigation reported here, 115 patients who had undergone cataract surgery at least 1 year previously, and for whom cataract glasses had been prescribed, were asked to give a subjective assessment of their vision. Almost 50% of them mentioned impairment of vision in certain situations (traffic, descending stairs). Altogether, 75.7% of the patients interviewed considered their vision good; only 2.7% felt it was unsatisfactory. Defects characteristic of aphakia correction were also cited by patients with good visual acuity. On the other hand, even patients with relatively poor vision (macular disease) reported that they were satisfied. The patients' adaptation to the change in visual conditions brought about by the cataract glasses can only be described as remarkable.