Efficacy of laser interferometry in predicting visual result of YAG laser posterior capsulotomy.

One hundred fifteen patients with cloudy posterior capsules that required capsulotomies were evaluated by laser interferometry. The predicted acuity was within one line of postoperative acuity in 44 patients (38.3%) and within two lines in 73 patients (63.5%). The correlation coefficient between the predicted and actual post-capsulotomy acuities was 0.38. However, the predicted retinal visual acuity was compared to postoperative Snellen visual acuity and found to differ by an average of three lines. A large number of false negative results reduced the clinical usefulness of the test.