Purpose: To identify the main concerns of patients experienced in wearing cryolite glass prosthetic eyes and to investigate how these have changed over time.
Methods: One hundred six patients experienced in wearing prosthetic eyes for at least 2 years were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire regarding prosthetic eye concerns at the time of initial eye loss and at the present time. Main outcome measures included changes in levels of concern over time.
Results: Initially, the participants were mainly concerned about their appearance, health of the fellow eye, and coping with monocularity. Over time, there was a significant increase of the level of concern regarding the health of the remaining eye (p < 0.001) and regarding watering, crusting, and discharge (p < 0.001). Loss of balance did not change significantly (p = 0.302). All other concerns decreased significantly over time (p < 0.001), with levels of concern about appearance decreasing the most. The current leading concern was the health of the remaining eye followed by concerns about watering, crusting, and discharge. Length of time since natural eye loss was the most important explanatory variable, with significant impact on the concerns about appearance (p = 0.013), retention of the prosthetic eye (p = 0.002), and eyelid contour (p = 0.004).
Conclusions: Health of the remaining eye is the most common current concern of anophthalmic patients, acknowledging the need of good ophthalmologic follow up after losing an eye. The second most important concern is with watering, crusting, and discharge, suggesting further research for establishing an evidence-based protocol for cryolite glass prosthetic eye maintenance and supportive treatment.