A pilot study to determine if intraocular lens choice at the time of cataract surgery has an impact on patient-reported driving habits

Abstract

George HH Beiko1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaPurpose: To determine if intraocular lens (IOL) choice at the time of cataract surgery affects driving habits.Materials and methods: Pseudophakes who were 28–35 months postbilateral cataract surgery with one of two contemporary one-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOLs (SN60WF or ZCB00) were asked to complete the Driving Habits Questionnaire, a validated instrument for determining self-reported driving status, frequency, and difficulty. To determine if there were any differences in driving habits between the two groups, t-tests and χ2 tests were used.Results: Of 90 respondents, 72 (40 SN60WF and 32 ZCB00) were still active drivers. The SN60WF-implanted subjects were less likely to drive at the same speed or faster than the general flow of traffic, less likely to rate their quality of driving as average/above average, less likely to have traveled beyond their immediate neighborhood, less likely to drive at night, more likely to have moderate-to-severe difficulty driving at night, and more likely to have self-reported road traffic accidents. The differences did not reach statistical significance.Conclusion: Changes in patients’ driving habits 2–3 years after cataract surgery may be associated with the type of IOL implanted. A larger study, powered to demonstrate statistical significance, is needed to verify the trends identified in this pilot study and discover possible contributing factors.Keywords: intraocular lens, cataract surgery, driving habits, disability glare, retinal straylight, accidents