Satisfaction in ocular prosthesis wearers: a comparison between stock eyes and custom eyes at the artificial eye centre, Krugersdorp
Date
2020
Authors
Gnanapragasam, U. D.
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Abstract
Purpose: The study is about understanding the level of satisfaction, quality of life and
complications experienced by people wearing either custom or stock eyes. It is also aimed at
determining which variables were correlated to their level of satisfaction and if visible
amputation of an eye is associated with a wide range of psychosocial stressors. It was motivated
by the fact that the problems encountered by ocular prosthesis wearers with eye conditions are
under-reported in Africa. Thus, the study also sought to establish the extent and type of
psychosocial stressors and complications experienced by these two types of prosthesis wearers.
Setting: Artificial Eye Centre, Krugersdorp, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Methods: The study was a cross-sectional, descriptive study, using a questionnaire to gather
information on patients who had destructive eye surgeries, including evisceration and
enucleation, and who were wearing artificial eyes.
Results: There were 104 participants in this study with majority (57.3%) of them being men.
About two thirds of the respondents (66.3%) were less than 40 years of age. The participants
who were wearing custom eyes were 53 in total (55%) and those who had stock eyes were 51
in total (53%). Custom eye wearers were older than the stock eye wearers. Mean scores for
psychological adjustment were within the normal range for both custom and stock eye-wearers.
More of the custom eye-wearers felt their facial appearance had greatly improved compared to
the stock eye wearers (99% versus 78%). Likewise, the custom eye-wearers had a higher
percentage (53%) of face appearance satisfaction in contrast to the stock eye wearers (14%).
Ocular discharge was a frequent complication experienced by both custom and stock eye
wearers. There was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) in the colour and viscosity of
discharge between two types of prosthesis. There was a statistically significant association
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(P<0.05) between the type of ocular prosthesis worn and Quality of Life. Significant findings
from the Quality of Life questionnaire were that slightly more than two thirds (66%) of the
custom eye wearers were not affected by night driving compared to 35% of the stock eye
wearers. Furthermore, evidence from this study indicated that the custom eye-wearers were
more comfortable compared to the Stock eye-wearers.
Conclusion: Custom eyes are associated with a better Quality of Life than stock eyes and
should, wherever possible, be made available to the anophthalmic patients. However, levels of
depression and anxiety in this group were low irrespective of prosthesis type, suggesting that
in a resource constrained setting, the provision of stock eyes is an acceptable compromise
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in in Ophthalmology to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2020