Strabismus and Quality of Life

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Strabismus is a condition that impacts a variety of functional and psychosocial domains. One of the major areas of interest in the management of strabismus is improvement in the patient's quality of life (QOL), yet, the effect of surgical intervention on QOL is unclear, especially in pediatric populations. The aim of this study is to evaluate changes in the perception of QOL using the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire in a pediatric population both before and after surgical correction of strabismus. Methods: A prospective descriptive study was conducted in a sample of 8–17-year-old children and adolescents whose perception of QOL was evaluated using the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered prior to and 3 months after surgical correction and administered in two specialized institutions in Bogota, Colombia. Results: Twenty seven subjects were included, 59.3% (n = 16) were male with a mean age of 11.5 years. The etiology of strabismus was identified as congenital in 66.7% (n = 18) and bilateral in 59.3% (n = 16), while esotropia was the most common type (55.6%). The QOL measure, KIDSCREEN-52, resulted a statistically significant positive effect in all dimensions, except for the Financial Resources dimension. Conclusion: Subjects who underwent surgical intervention perceived improvement in almost all areas of QOL. These results highlight the importance of early surgical intervention, with an added opportunity to improve the patient's mental and social wellbeing, secondary to surgical correction of strabismus.