Comparison of the visual acuity after photorefractive keratectomy using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Chart and E-chart

PURPOSE: To compare the visual responses of post refractive surgery's patients using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Chart (ETDRS) and E-chart with and without color filters. METHODS: The uncorrected Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution Visual Acuity (LogMAR VA) of 70 patients with a mean age of 26.2 ± 3.76 years (from 19 to 34 years) who had undergone Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) (the range of post operation refractive error: ±0.5 D) was measured under the light conditions of with and without asymmetrical glare by using red, green, and yellow filters and ETDRS chart and E-chart. RESULTS: In both light conditions of with and without glare, the mean visual acuity of the three filters in the right and left eyes was significantly better with the E-chart versus the ETDRS chart (P < 0.0001). Only in the glare light condition, the mean visual acuity of the left eye showed no significant difference between the two charts using the red filter (P = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS: Visual acuity measurements were different with ETDRS chart and E-chart. These two charts cannot be used interchangeably.