Impact of ocular surface dryness on quality of life among users of custom ocular prostheses: A standard patient evaluation of eye dryness questionnaire-based evaluation.

CONTEXT: This study addresses the underexplored burden of ocular surface dryness in custom ocular prosthesis users and its impact on quality of life using a validated symptom assessment tool (Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness [SPEED]).

AIMS: To investigate the extent to which ocular surface dryness influences quality of life (QoL) in individuals wearing custom-made ocular prostheses, using the SPEED questionnaire as a symptom assessment tool.

SETTINGS AND

DESIGN

The study design involves a cross-sectional observational study.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted involving 60 adult users of custom ocular prostheses who had been wearing their prosthesis for at least 6 months. Participants completed the SPEED questionnaire, and dryness severity was categorized based on total scores. Patient-reported quality-of-life outcomes, including comfort during prosthesis wear, satisfaction with cosmetic appearance, and impact on social activities, were evaluated and analyzed in relation to dryness severity.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 26).

RESULTS

The mean SPEED score among participants was 10.4 ± 4.2, indicating a high prevalence of dryness-related symptoms. Mild dryness was identified in 20% of participants, while 57% and 23% experienced moderate and severe dryness, respectively. Increasing dryness severity was significantly associated with reduced comfort, lower appearance satisfaction, and greater interference with social activities. Higher SPEED scores were also linked to more frequent prosthesis removal and increased use of lubricating eye drops. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that moderate-to-severe dryness independently predicted poorer overall QoL after adjustment for age, sex, and duration of prosthesis use.

CONCLUSIONS

Ocular surface dryness is a common and clinically meaningful problem among users of custom ocular prostheses and has a substantial negative impact on multiple dimensions of quality of life. Routine symptom assessment using validated questionnaires such as SPEED may facilitate earlier identification and targeted management of dryness in this population.