ABSTRACT

Pur­po­se:

To evaluate the results of our low vision aids (LVAs) application and to determine the ratios of usage of devices.

Ma­te­ri­al and Met­hod:

129 patients examined between December 2010 and June 2012 were included in the study. Far visual acuities were examined with far visual chart that was designed for low vision patients, and near visual acuities were examined with Jaeger (J) near visual chart. LVAs and bifocal glasses with high spherical additions were used in the examination of LVA. Chi-square analysis and ANOVA tests were used as statistical methods in this retrospective study.

Re­sults:

96 patients were given telescopic glasses (TG), 12 patients were given bifocal glasses (BFG) with high spherical addition. Before LVA, average far visual acuity of patients was 0.106±0.09, after LVA, it was 0.340±0.217. Before LVA, average near visual acuity of patients was J14.75±5.25, after LVA, it was J6.55±4.33. 38 patients (39.6%) who were advised TG and 9 patients (75%) who were advised BFG used the devices. There was not any difference in terms of age, sex and diagnoses between patients who bought TG and those who did not; 34% of patients who did not buy TG found the devices too expensive, 29.5% of them - as too big and not easy to use. The patients who could use TG most frequently ranged between the ages of 0 and 29 (39.5%), and 68.4% of them were men; the patients who had the highest ratio of usage of TG were in the group with AMD (26.3).

Dis­cus­si­on:

LVAs were effective methods to increase the vision of our patients. The cost and the appearance of TG decrease the buying ratios of TG. It was found that the ratios of usage of TG after purchase differed with sex, age, and diagnoses.