Purpose: The study is conducted to determine the effect of acquired monocular vision (enucleation, phthisis) on the daily activities of patients.
Methods: Sixty-five patients in a case series completed a 30-question survey evaluating the functional consequences of monocular vision.
Results: Patients with sudden visual loss adapted more slowly than those with gradual loss (8.8 versus 3.6 months). Difficulties with depth perception and cosmesis were prevalent. Unexpected consequences included neck pain, strain with reading, employment change, depression, car accidents, and alcoholism. Ninety-one percent of patients had no formal training to help them adapt.
Conclusions: More than previously appreciated, there are many obstacles that patients face in making the transition to monocular vision. Few patients receive any formal instruction to help them adapt, yet many indicate that it would be beneficial.