58 yr/old male with both a cataract and mild myopic macular degeneration in one eye. Best correctable vision with contacts is 20/70. An opthalmologist and my retina specialist both suggested that the cataract has progressed to where it is worthwhile to consider surgery. A cataract surgeon did a potential acuity test indicating post-cataract surgery acuity of 20/30. However, my optomistrist suggested - without testing- not to expect anything better that 20/40 or 20/50. Do pre-operative acuity tests provide reasonable estimates of post-operative acuity and are there other tests I could ask my surgeon to perform to abtain a reasonable estimate of acuity after surgery? Also, I am considering monofocal IOL with emphasis on distance vision.