Abstract
Purpose :
The purpose of this prospective study was to compare the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients who received Baerveldt 250 (B250), Baerveldt 350 (B350), or Ahmed FP7 (FP7) Glaucoma Drainage Devices (GDDs), and medically-treated controls.
Methods :
Adult glaucoma patients who had received B250, B350, or FP7 GDDs, and medically-treated controls, were prospectively and consecutively enrolled. For GDD patients, the Diplopia Questionnaire (DQ), the National Eye Institute 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) and the Adult Strabismus Quality of Life Questionnaire (AS-20) were conducted ≥30 days after surgery. VFQ-25 and AS-20 responses were scored for each subscale using published Rasch look-up tables.
Univariate regression analysis was performed to assess associated factors for each subscale. In multiple regression analyses, age, sex, treatment type, worst visual acuity, mean deviation, and diplopia were examined for association with HRQoL.
Results :
Eighty-seven GDD patients and 101 controls were enrolled, 94.7% Caucasian and 50.0% female. Twenty-six (29.9%) received B250, 38 (43.7%) received B350 and 23 (26.4%) received FP7. On the univariate linear regression analysis, factors associated with decreased HRQoL included: younger age (r2 range, 0.079-0.021), presence of diplopia (r2 range, 0.047-0.123), treatment group (r2 range, 0.072-0.117), lower visual acuity (r2 range, 0.035-0.177) and worse mean deviation (r2 range, 0.028-0.151). HRQoL was diminished in all subscales of AS20 and VFQ25 in all GDD groups compared to controls, with the exception of B250 versus controls in the AS-20 Self-perception subscale. In a multiple linear regression model, HRQoL was significantly lower in B350 patients compared to controls on AS-20 Self-perception subscale (p=0.027). There were no significant differences seen among the GDDs on any AS20 or VFQ25 subscale.
Conclusions :
Overall, decreased HRQoL was found in younger glaucoma patients with diplopia, lower visual acuity, worse mean deviation, and a GDD. This study confirmed that the Self-perception subscale of AS20 may be diminished in patients who had a GDD, specifically B350, which has the largest plate area and may be the most visible.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.