Light as a drug: prospective randomized evaluation and comparison of the effect of decreased illumination on visual recovery after cataract surgery.

Purpose: To compare the effect of decreased illumination on the rate of postoperative visual recovery, and the incidence of cystoid macular edema (CME) with surgical visualization achieved with a traditional analog operating microscope compared with a 3D digital visualization system.

Setting: Ambulatory surgery center, New York.

Design: Prospective, randomized, consecutive, single-surgeon series.