Visual acuity in patients having foldable and non-foldable intra-ocular lens for cataract surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intra-ocular lens (IOLs) is the most commonly use organ substitute worldwide. Question of different type of IOLs which would offer different post operative visual acuity (VA) has been asked. OBJECTIVES: To compare the pre-operative and post operative visual acuity (VA) of cataract patients operated-patient and the use of non foldable and foldable IOLs in different age groups. METHOD: Retrospective study of post operative VA of cataract patients-operated from Priest, Lerdsin Hospital in Bangkok and Lampang Hospital in northern part of Thailand. Methods to operate and type of IOLs implantation were recorded. The cases with pre-operative and intra-operative complications were excluded. RESULTS: Post operative VA of cataract patients was better than pre-operation VA with statistically significant at p-value less than 0.05 and the results persisted for every age group. With phacoemulsification (PE) techniques, non-foldable IOLs offered better post operative VA than foldable IOLs in every age group except in age group of less than 40 and age group over 59 that showed statistically significant different at p-value less than 0.05. CONCLUSION: Due to the nature of retrospective study, the cause of poor post operative VA was due to astigmatism which the pre-operative astigmatism were not recorded to fulfill complete analysis.