Cataract and intraocular implant surgery concerns and comments posted at two internet eye care forums.

PURPOSE: To summarize patient concerns about cataract-intraocular implant (IOL) surgery, recovery and satisfaction with the results as posted on two eye care forums at one of the largest internet health care websites; to stimulate interest in using internet health care forums as a source of original and unique ophthalmic research.

SETTING

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) "Ask a Doctor" Eye Forum and the Eye Care "Medical Support Community" on MedHelp. at www.medhelp.org.

METHODS

A retrospective study was done of all postings between November 1, 2007, and May 1, 2008, on these two eye care forums dealing with completed cataract-IOL surgery, convalescence and satisfaction with the results. Postings were retrieved using key words or phrases. These were chosen from the most consistent words/phrases posted by individuals inquiring about, or discussing actual cataract-IOL surgery. Seven hundred and fifty postings were identified. The entire discussion threads were reviewed; three hundred and forty-one threads could be analyzed for causes of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. "Multifocal IOLs" for this study included the ReZoom, ReStor and Crystalens presbyopia correcting IOLs.

RESULTS

All initially posted 341 questions described a problem, complaint, or dissatisfaction. The most common complaints were related to unwanted visual aberrations, night blindness, blurred vision, pain and dependence on glasses. Where IOL type was specified, there were more adverse comments about multifocal IOLs than monofocal IOLs. There were more complaints about ReZoom IOLs than ReStor or Crystalens.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients initially posting at two internet eye forums were uniformly unhappy with some aspect of their care or surgical result. More sophisticated study protocols should be developed to study the unique information available on internet eye care forums.