Spectacle Independence and Quality of Vision After Bilateral Implantation of a Trifocal Intraocular Lens

PURPOSE: To evaluate the patient-reported spectacle independence and quality of vision for patients who were bilaterally implanted with a trifocal intraocular lens (IOL). DESIGN: Single site, prospective, single-arm study. METHODS: Subjects presenting for cataract surgery who had an interest in reducing their dependence on glasses at multiple distances were enrolled. Subjects were bilaterally implanted with a trifocal IOL and followed for 3 months post-surgery. A spectacle independence questionnaire and a quality of vision questionnaire were administered at the 3-month visit. The binocular visual acuity at distance (4 m), intermediate (60 cm) and near (40 cm) was also measured in the uncorrected and distance-corrected state. RESULTS: All but one subject reported no need for glasses for distance and intermediate work, and most (25/29) reported no need for glasses for near work. Almost all subjects reported never wearing glasses or wearing them only a little, and being able to function without glasses at any distance all or most of the time. Ninety percent of subjects (26/29) reported being completely or mostly satisfied with their vision overall, without the use of glasses or contact lenses. The mean binocular visual acuity 1 and 3 months after surgery was better than 0.1 logMAR (20/25) at all test distances in both the uncorrected and distance-corrected states. The reported quality of vision appeared similar to previously reported data for the same IOL. CONCLUSION: The trifocal IOL provided nearly all subjects with functional vision and spectacle independence for distance, intermediate and near work. It is a viable alternative for patients looking to reduce their overall dependence on spectacles after cataract surgery.