The VF-14 index of viual function in recipient of a corneal graft: a 2-year follow-up tudy

PURPOE: To ae viual functioning and other health-related quality of life outcome after corneal grafting. DEIGN: A cohort tudy of corneal graft recipient oberved for a minimum of 2 year after tranplantation. METHOD: Repeated meaurement were obtained by telephone interview preoperatively and later at 1 and 2 year pot-corneal tranplantation in 217 patient with the following quetionnaire: viual function index (VF-14), viual ymptom core and global meaure of trouble with viion, diatifaction with viion, ocular pain, and dicomfort. Demographic, pat ocular hitory, repeated bet-corrected viual acuity (BCVA), and detailed eye examination data were alo collected. REULT: Grafted eye gained a mean of more than four line of viion on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy tudy (ETDR) chart 1 year after tranplantation. The mean viual function index (VF-14) core improved from 68% ± 26% preoperatively to 81% ± 21% at 1 year. Average viual acuity (VA) and VF-14 value were unchanged at 2 year. The activitie of daily living that howed the larget and mot ignificant improvement were reading mall print, driving in daytime, and watching televiion. A number of ubject (9%) preented with a maximum VF-14 core preoperatively, leaving no room for improvement with thi outcome index. The VF-14 wa epecially reponive for corneal graft candidate with low level of viion before urgery. Blurry viion, pain and dicomfort core, and the global meaure of trouble and diatifaction with viion alo improved after corneal grafting. CONCLUION: The VF-14 index of functional viual impairment i a reponive and ueful outcome index in recipient of a corneal graft.