Early uncorrected visual acuity as a measurement of the visual outcomes of contemporary cataract surgery Robert H. Osher, MD, Marcı ´lio G. Barros, MD, Daniela M.V. Marques, MD, Frederico F. Marques, MD, James M. Osher, MS Purpose: To determine the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) on the first postoper- ative day and the fifth week after routine slow-motion phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Setting: Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Methods: This retrospective chart review performed by 3 research fellows ana- lyzed the UCVA 1 day and 5 weeks postoperatively in 100 consecutive best-case scenario eyes of 99 patients who had routine slow-motion phacoemulsification with implantation of an AcrySof single-piece IOL (Alcon). Reasons for UCVAs worse than 20/40 were sought. The stability of the visual result was analyzed. Results: The UCVA was 20/40 or better in 98% of eyes at 1 day. Ninety-seven percent had a UCVA of at least 20/40 by 5 weeks, confirming stability of acuity. The percentage of patients with a UCVA of 20/20 or 20/25 increased from 49% at 1 day to 77% at 5 weeks. Conclusions: The UCVA 1 day after slow-motion phacoemulsification was 20/40 or better in 98% of eyes and remained stable to the last measurement at 5 weeks. Early UCVA can serve as a more sensitive measurement than best cor- rected visual acuity for assessing new surgical technologies and techniques. J Cataract Refract Surg 2004; 30:1917–1920  2004 ASCRS and ESCRS to determine whether excellent uncorrected visual acuity T raditional assessment of postoperative visual acuity (UCVA) could be attained after slow-motion phaco- is based on measurement of best corrected visual emulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implanta- acuity (BCVA) 2 to 3 months after surgery. This mea- tion. The stability of the result was analyzed. surement is still used despite major improvements in technology and surgical techniques. This study sought Patients and Methods Independent of the operating surgeon (R.H.O.), 3 oph- Accepted for publication January 14, 2004. thalmologists serving cataract surgery fellowships reviewed the medical records of 143 consecutive patients who had From the Cincinnati Eye Institute (R. Osher, Barros, D. Marques, F. Marques, J. Osher) and Department of Ophthalmology, University of cataract surgery between the final quarter of 2002 and early Cincinnati College of Medicine (R. Osher), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; 2003. One hundred forty-three charts were reviewed to iden- Hospital do Olho de Rio Preto (Barros), Sa ˜o Jose ´ do Rio Preto, and tify 100 routine cases. Department of Ophthalmology, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC (D. Exclusion criteria were coexisting ocular disease (eg, Marques, F. Marques), Sa ˜o Paulo, Brazil. Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy, age-related macular degeneration), None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any an additional surgical procedure (astigmatic keratometry, sec- material or method mentioned. ondary IOL implantation), or inadequate data (ie, an out- of-town patient with follow-up elsewhere). Patients were also Correspondence to Robert H. Osher, MD, Cincinnati Eye Institute, excluded if an IOL other than a single-piece acrylic AcrySof 10494 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, USA. E-mail: rhosher@cincinnatieye.com. (SA60AT, Alcon) was implanted (eg, a multifocal or sutured  2004 ASCRS and ESCRS 0886-3350/04/$–see front matter Published by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.jcrs.2004.01.027