Laser interferometry compared to visually evoked potentials (sVEP) as a predictor of postoperative visual acuity in patients undergoing cataract surgery
Faculty Information
Name:
Dr. alvaro Mejia-Vergara MD
Email
amejiavergara@ufl.edu
Phone
(786) 782-6383
Faculty Department/Division
Ophthalmology
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
Cataract is the leading cause of reversible blindness worldwide and its management is surgical. Determining the potential for post-surgery visual acuity is a critical factor in preoperative evaluation. Assessing potential visual acuity is done in order to establish the possible benefit in terms of visual gain with the procedure. In our setting, laser interferometry is the most widely used method to determine this visual potential, however it tends to overestimate or underestimate retinal and neural function depending on the patient’s condition, so its use is limited and its result is not very accurate in some clinical scenarios. On the other hand, sweep visual evoked potentials (sVEPs) are another available, but less used tool that allows an objective assessment of the integrity of the visual pathway, thus generating results in the prediction of visual acuity proportional and in accordance with the patient’s condition.
Objective
To compare the performance of laser interferometry with that of in predicting post-operative of visual acuity in patients undergoing cataract surgery.
Methodology
A prospective cohort study will be conducted in which patients with acquired cataract who will be undergoing cataract surgery at the University of Florida Department of Ophthalmology will be included. All patients will undergo pre-surgery laser interferometry and sVEPs as methods of predicting visual acuity and their results will be compared with the patient’s visual acuity obtained one month after surgery via the Snellen chart. Other systemic and ocular pathologies that may alter the performance of the tests will be documented.
Expected results
Based on the evidence that exists so far, it would be expected that the sVEP will have greater accuracy in patients with dense cataract and concomitant retinal pathologies such as diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, high myopia and age-related macular degeneration.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No