Abstract
Purpose :
Considering both the importance of Health-Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL) and the contribution of modern medicine therapeutic methods concerning surgical visual rehabilitation, the purpose of this research is to assess the HR-QoL before and after the management of keratectasia with the Athens Protocol.
Methods :
34 patients (age 15 to 51 years, 25 male, 09 female) treated for progressive keratoconus were randomly selected for retrospective telephone interview and individual questionnaire submission. A disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire was administered before and after the Athens Protocol intervention. The administrative questionnaires NEI VFQ 25/39 and IVI-28 were applied. Reliability of collected data was evaluated with Cronbach’s Alpha test. Amsler-Krumeich Classification (keratoconus severity) and Visual acuity (pre-operative) were used as criterion to form two groups, Group-A, better visual acuity and Group-B, worse visual acuity.
Results :
Patient age was 15 to 51 years at the time of the operation. Mean time past the operation during which the questionnaires were administered was 15 months (range 3 to 36). General visual acuity, psychological well - being and driving facility showed significant improvement. Younger keratoconic patients tend to have more enhanced psychology and to cope better with difficulties in everyday activities (pre op) than older patients.
Conclusions :
The Athens Protocol treatment has been proven beneficial to patients in a large number of aspects.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.