[Socioeconomical comparison between treated and untreated candidates for laser refractive surgery in mid-Hesse]

The aim of this study was to explore the possible economic and social differences between patients who decided to undergo laser refractive surgery and those,who did not.

We included only patients who received a recommendation for excimer laser surgery at their first examination at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Marburg. Eighty-nine candidates who decided not to undergo refractive surgery (NOP) and 100 patients who underwent the operation were surveyed either by telephone or by letter. The standardised questionnaire contained 17 or 20, respectively, questions.

No statistically significant differences concerning age, sex, gross income, marital status could be found. Patients of the two groups statistically differed in their housing conditions: 41.6 % of the NOP group lived in a tenancy as compared with 17 % of the OP group (p < 0,001). 89.9 % of the non-operated candidates had to carry the costs of surgery themselves, compared with only 71 % of the operated patients. A considerably larger proportion of the OP group than of the NOP group participates in sports (92 vs. 81 %, p = 0.031) and may accordingly feel more uncomfortable with wearing glasses or contact lenses during sports than the compared group (71 vs. 50,7 %, p = 0.002). The main part of the OP group use the media to form their opinion towards refractive surgery (36 %), primarily the print media (25 %). In the NOP group the media does not play such as an important role (20.2 %). The opinion of their optician (11.2 %, but only 1 % of the OP group) seems to be more important. The main reason for not undergoing refractive surgery were the costs of the surgery (50 answers) and the lack of a guarantee for being absolutely independent of optical aids (glasses, lenses) after the operation (41 answers).

In the region of mid-Hessen differences in the profile of candidates who do decide not to undergo refractive surgery and those who do can be found. These differences concern the housing conditions, the financiability of the surgical treatment, the sport activities and the preoperative discomfort with visual aids.