Effect of active evaluation on the detection of negative dysphotopsia after sequential cataract surgery: discrepancy between incidences of unsolicited and solicited complaints

Purpose To evaluate the incidence of negative dysphotopsia after sequential cataract surgery. Methods Retrospective cohort study. The incidence of negative dysphotopsia was assessed by retrospective reviewing of medical records and interviews with patients between 2 and 4 months after sequential cataract surgery. Inclusion criteria were uncomplicated surgery, postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) ≥20/25 Snellen and the absence of ocular comorbidity. The majority of intra-ocular lens (IOL) implants were one-piece AcrySof SN60WF (161 eyes). Other IOLs (29 eyes) were toric (SN6AT3-6), spherical (SN60AT), three-piece (MN60MA) and multifocal (ReSTOR SN6AD1, PanOptix TFNT00 and Finevision Micro F trifocal). Results The study population was comprised of 95 patients with a mean age of 72 ± 10 years. Unsolicited complaints of negative dysphotopsia were reported by eight patients (8%), and two of them had a resolution of symptoms within 1 month of follow-up. Eighteen patients (19%) reported negative dysphotopsia at the time of the interview. Two patients reported bothersome negative dysphotopsia, and one of them was successfully treated with implantation of a supplementary IOL in the ciliary sulcus. Patients with negative dysphotopsia were younger than patients without dysphotopsia (p = 0.045) and had shorter axial eye length (p = 0.04), a tendency for higher IOL power (p = 0.09) and a higher CDVA (p = 0.001). Conclusion The incidence of unsolicited negative dysphotopsia after sequential cataract surgery appears to be a substantial underestimation of complaints identified in active interviewing. Although symptoms are not bothersome in the majority of cases, some patients with undiagnosed severe negative dysphotopsia may benefit from reassurance or secondary treatment.