Quality of life in Turkish Patients with Trauma-Related Phthisis Bulbi

Abstract

Purpose: Losing an eye due to trauma is a challenging situation that reduces the quality of life by causing physical, cosmetic, and serious psychological problems. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aesthetic rehabilitation on the change in psychological status and quality of life of patients with eye loss resulting in phthisis bulbi. Materials and Methods: The files of 25 males and 15 females with an average age of 27.5 years who had trauma-related phthisic eye and had applied to the Department of Ophthalmology at the Dr. Lütfi Kırdar Kartal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, for aesthetic rehabilitation during the years 2015–2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS), and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) were used to collect data on admission and 1-year follow up. Results: Of the patients reviewed, 65% stated that eye loss had caused their avoidance of family and social environments; 30% had moderate anxiety and depression. The postoperative sub-dimension scores of general health, emotional role function, and physical and social functions were statistically significant (P = 0.001; P < 0.01), but the variations in the sub-dimension scores of vitality, mental health, and total physical health were not (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Losing an eye is   traumatic event that can affect all aspects of a person’s social and professional life. A patient who has suffered from the psychological damage of physical loss of eye needs a prosthesis that can give the desired function and appearance in different aspects of life