OBJECTIVE: To compare the quality of life using the National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of Life (NEI-RQL) instrument in 40-60 year-old patients with reading glasses and presbyopic LASIK correction and in 60-80 year-old patients with monofocal and multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs).

METHODS: Patients aged 40-80 years old with reading glasses (group 1a) or presbyopic LASIK treatment (group 1b) and bilateral pseudophakia with monofocal (group 2a) or multifocal IOLs (group 2b) were recruited. All patients answered the NEI-RQL questionnaire. The responses in the self-administered questionnaires were collated, analyzed, and compared between the subgroups.

RESULTS: One hundred fifty patients (median age 60 years, range 41-80 years) completed the NEI-RQL questionnaire. Subjects (age 41-59 years) who underwent presbyopic LASIK correction had a higher mean NEI-RQL (p=0.19) and higher subscale score for satisfaction (p=0.42) than those wearing reading glasses. However, the differences were not satistically significant.

CONCLUSION: Presbyopic LASIK improved uncorrected near visual acuity and provided spectacle independence in presbyopes; however, patient satisfaction was similar to those who with reading glasses. Multifocal IOLs significantly improved uncorrected near visual acuity and spectacle independence in pseudophakic patients with high patient satisfaction.