Original articleThe Effects of Strabismus on Quality of Life in Adults
Section snippets
Methods
In this prospective cross-sectional study, 30 adult patients (median age, 39.5; range, 18 to 74 years) were recruited from outpatient clinics. All types of strabismus were eligible for inclusion. Seventeen (57%) of the 30 patients had diplopia and 13 (43%) did not. Twenty (67%) were female and all patients self-reported their race as “White.” For the 17 patients with diplopia, diagnoses were: 4th nerve palsy (3), 6th nerve palsy (2), 3rd nerve palsy (2), residual esotropia (2), postretinal
Results
A total of 1,508 phrases were extracted. One hundred and forty-three of the 1,508 phrases were excluded as they did not pertain to HRQOL or referred specifically to distant, historical experiences as a child or the experience of undergoing surgery (e.g., “hard on little kids,” “everyone should have surgery”). An additional 64 phrases were excluded because they were statements of symptoms of diplopia and blurred vision (e.g., “I see two”) without reference to any effects these symptoms had on
Discussion
Strabismus in adults causes a wide range of quality of life concerns; for patients with diplopia the most common issues identified in this study were nonspecific negative feelings, general disability, and driving, whereas for patients without diplopia the most common concerns were appearance to others, eye contact, and interpersonal relationships. Patients with and without diplopia both frequently identified problems with nonspecific negative feelings, driving, and self-esteem. There were some
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