Introduction: Avoidable blindness which could be treated or prevented by known and cost effective means is cataract. Therefore majority of blindness due to cataract can be prevented by simple techniques called conventional ECCE, SICS and phacoemulsification. Around 62.6% of blindness is due to cataract and thereby it is burdening the country with major morbidity. To reduce this burden most easy technique and cost effective method employed in developing countries like India is small incision cataract surgery (SICS).

Aim & Objective: To find out the causes of subnormal vision post operatively in patients undergoing small incision cataract surgery at a tertiary care center.

Methods: The present study was a prospective study done on 100 patients who attended OPD during the study period between 2018-2020. Patients underwent detailed examination before cataract surgery and best corrected visual acuity was recorded at day 1, 1 week, 6 weeks post operatively. Complications were noted to determine the causes for subnormal vision at 6 weeks post-operatively.

Results: Out of the 100 patients severe visual loss (6%) was caused by iridocyclitis (65%) in majority of patients on 1st post op day. At 1st post op week residual lens matter (3%) and astigmatism (59%) contributed equally to moderate vision loss (55%). At 6 weeks astigmatism (88%) and Pigment Dispersion on IOL (16%) were the causes of moderate visual loss (55%). 

Conclusion: Astigmatism was the major cause of subnormal vision at 6 weeks causing mild moderate vision loss in majority of the patients.