Clinical Effect of Low Vision Aids.

Oh, S Y; Ham, D I; Ji, Y H

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1997;38(2):281-285.
Published online February 1, 1997.

Clinical Effect of Low Vision Aids.

S Y Oh, D I Ham, Y H Ji

Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center.

저시력 보조기구의 임상효과

오세열(Oh S.Y),함돈일(Ham D.I),지용훈(Ji Y.H)

Abstract

The number of low vision patients is increasing as the life expectancy increases. It is, therefore, imperative to recognize the importance of low vision aids. We reviewed the clinical records of 50 patients who visited our low vision clinic more than twice. According to the data analysed, optic n. atrophy, diabetic retinopathy and retinal degeneration were the leading causes of low vision in those patients. The best corrected visual acuity without low vision aids was mostly less than 0.3, but with the help of low vision aids, their vision improved more than 0.4 in 92% of patients for near vision, and in 56% for far vision. The purposes to visit our low vision clinic were to read books(68%) and letters on the blackboard(12%), and to identify a person at a distance(8%). The overall satisfaction reached up to 84%. Hand magnifiers(34%), spectacle lenses(24%), and stand magnifiers(17%) were low vision aids commonly used for near vision, while Keplerian telescope(67%) and Galilean telescope(33%) were the most popular for distance vision aids. In conclusion, low vision aids used in our low vision clinic were of great help for those patients examined.

Key Words: Low vision;Magnifier;Telescope