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Test shows reduced glare, halo and starburst after cataract surgery
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 Michael Ehrlich |
PHILADELPHIA — A device has proved reliable to evaluate glare and halo before and after cataract surgery, according to study results reported at the Wills Eye Institute Alumni Conference.
Michael Ehrlich, MD, said there is a lack of reliable testing methods for glare, halos and starbursts.
"The decision to operate often hinges on results of these glare tests, which can be expensive to purchase and time-consuming to perform," Dr. Ehrlich said.
The study included 50 patients undergoing posterior chamber IOL implantation and 50 controls. A glarometer, a cardboard device with five concentric circles and lights radiating from the center, was used to test glare, halo and starburst. Testing was monocular in the non-dilated operative eye at a distance of 5 feet before and after cataract surgery.
Best corrected visual acuity, glare, halo and starbursts were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 day and 1 month postop.
Results showed a 50% decrease in halo and a 30% decline in starburst. The reductions were statistically significant. "All patients did improve, and the improvement was greater at 1 month than it was at day 1," Dr. Ehrlich said.
Further study is warranted, Dr. Ehrlich said. "This is really a quality-of-life issue for these patients, not necessarily a visual acuity issue," he said.