Concerns of anophthalmic patients wearing artificial eyes.

BACKGROUND

To identify the concerns of experienced artificial eye wearers and investigate whether these had changed since they lost their eye.

DESIGN

A retrospective study of private practice patients.

PARTICIPANTS

Sixty-three experienced artificial eye wearers.

METHODS

An anonymous questionnaire was posted to participants. Paired Wilcoxon tests were used to investigate changes to concern levels over time. Ordinal logistic regression was used to investigate associations of demographic variables with concern levels.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in level of concern over time.

RESULTS

At the time of initial eye loss, participants were mainly concerned about the health of their remaining eye, coping with monocularity and receiving good advice. Between initial eye loss and the present, reductions in concern occurred with judging distance, peripheral vision, appearance, receiving good advice, comfort, retention, colour and movement of the artificial eye, fullness of orbit, loss of balance and postoperative pain. Patients whose jobs involved the public were more concerned about appearance and reduced visual range than those in other occupations. Participants' chief present-day concerns were health of the remaining eye and watering, crusting and discharge. All results above had a probability <0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

The study emphasized patients' concerns about the health of their remaining eye and their need for good advice at time of eye loss. Knowledge that their initial concerns about judging distance, reduced peripheral vision and appearance all decrease over time may help clinicians in counselling these patients. Watering, crusting and discharge was the chief present-day concern after health of the remaining eye.