Prediction of postoperative vision in eyes with severe trauma.

The single most important factor determining the potential for return of useful vision in severely injured eyes is the magnitude of damage incurred by the macula or optic nerve at the time of injury. Most gravely injured eyes have media opacities that prevent funduscopic examination. In such eyes, the flash visually evoked potential is the single best predictor of postoperative vision. The second most reliable predictor is the bright-flash electroretinogram. Ultrasonography is an important part of the preoperative assessment of injured eyes with opaque media, but is of less value than electrophysiological testing in predicting postoperative vision in eyes with major trauma.