Visual rehabilitation in low vision patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Using optical visual aids, visual rehabilitation was performed in 14 low vision patients (25 eyes) with age-related macular degeneration. With distance aids, visual acuity improvement appeared in 24 eyes (95%) out of the 25 eyes. Twelve eyes (48%) obtained a visual acuity equal to or better than 0.4. With near visual aids, near acuity of all eyes (100%) was improved. Thirteen eyes (52%) got the near vision equal to or better than 0.5. Ten patients could read No. 5 Chinese Reading Card. The reading success rate was 71.4%. The results suggest that application of visual aids is an effective method to improve the distant and near visual acuity of low vision patients with AMD.