Concerns of anophthalmic patients wearing artificial eyes

Abstract

Background: The aims were to identify the concerns of experienced artificial eye wearers and investigate whether these concerns had changed since they lost their natural eye. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was posted to 63 experienced artificial eye wearers. Paired Wilcoxon tests were used to investigate changes to levels of concern over time and ordinal logistic regression was used to investigate associations of demographic variables with levels of concern. Results: At the time of initial eye loss, participants were mainly concerned about the health of their remaining eye, coping with monocular vision and receiving good advice. Between initial eye loss and the present, reductions in concern occurred with judging distance, reduced side vision, appearance, receiving good advice, comfort, retention, colour and movement of the artificial eye, fullness of the orbit, loss of balance and pain from the operation. 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. Conclusions: The study highlighted the importance to patients of the health of their remaining eye and their need for good advice at the time of eye loss. The knowledge that their initial concerns about ability to judge distance, reduced peripheral vision and change to appearance all decrease over time may help clinicians in counselling these patients. Watering, crusting and discharge warrants further study as it is the chief present day concern after health of the remaining eye.