A Quality of Life Study Comparing Scleral Buckle to Pneumatic Retinopexy for the Treatment of Retinal Detachment.

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose:To study patient preferences comparing scleral buckle (SB) to pneumatic retinopexy (PR) for the treatment of retinal detachment. Methods:A modified version of the Visual Function Questionaire (VFQ–25) and the VFQ–25 were mailed to patients who had SB or PR surgery. A two–tailed student t–test and mean were calculated for both survey groups, as well as subgroup analysis of of the VFQ–25 questionaire per the NEI prescribed algorithms. Results:20 patients returned the questionaire, 10 of whom underwent the SB operation and 10 underwent PR. The average pain score in the first 48 hours after surgery was 4.6 for the SB group and 4.6 for the PR group (p=0.99). The ocular pain subgroup, as denoted by the NEI, yielded a mean score of 80 for the SB group and 78.7 for the PR group (p=0.94). The score of difficult post–operative experience was 6.1 in the SB group and 4.9 in the PR group (p=0.41). Patients were able to assume normal daily activities after an average of 2.8 weeks in the SB group and after 2.4 weeks in the PR group. When patients were asked what procedure they would like to have if they needed retinal detachment surgery in their fellow eye, 100% of PR respondents would select a PR again, whereas the SB patients were equally divided between the two procedures. Conclusions:Self–assesed pain was similar in both the SB and PR groups. The quality of life did not differ between SB and PR patients. All of the PR patients preferred to have PR in their fellow eye versus 50% of SB patients. These findings may indicate a difference in self–reported patient preferences and experiences, in contrast to the perceptions of physicians performing these procedures.

Keywords: quality of life • retinal detachment