Clinical relevance: Loss of an eye has a negative impact on the psychological health of a person.
Background: The aims are to: (a) identify the concerns of experienced prosthetic eye wearers in representative areas of India; (b) investigate how they change over time; (c) study how some demographic characteristics influence concerns; and (d) compare prosthetic eye concerns in India versus Germany and New Zealand.
Methods: This observational multi-centre study was conducted in the cities of Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi. Subjects aged from 18 to 65-years, with experience of at least two years of wearing a prosthetic eye fabricated from polymethyl methacrylate material, completed a validated questionnaire over the telephone. The questionnaire captured demographic data and general and prosthetic eye concerns at the time of eye loss and at the present time.
Results: At the time of eye loss, the five main concerns of participants were: health of the remaining eye; change in appearance; comfort; colour of the prosthesis; and movement of the prosthesis. However, after at least two years these concerns were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The main present-day concern was watering, crusting and discharge, which was experienced by 81.1-per cent of the participants, 55.5-per cent of them on a daily basis. Compared with other demographic groups, blue-collar workers had higher odds of being concerned about the health of the remaining eye and least odds about prosthesis motility. Homemakers had higher odds of being concerned about wearing comfort and students had higher odds of being concerned about wearing comfort, appearance and health of the remaining eye.
Conclusion: Initial concerns significantly reduce after two years. Watering, crusting and discharge are the most important current concerns for anophthalmic participants.
Keywords: Anophthalmia; discharge; ocular prosthesis; polymethyl methacrylate; prosthetic eye.