Utility values in patients with acquired anophthalmus

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Health Economics
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Loss of an eye can significantly reduce health-related quality of life due to monophthalmia and cosmetic impairment.
• Existing methods evaluate quality of life and utility impairment in ophthalmic patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess utility values for visual function and cosmetic restoration in patients with acquired anophthalmia.
• To investigate the correlation between utility values, visual acuity, and the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (VFQ-25).

Main Methods:

• Twenty-three patients with monocular vision (anophthalmia) and good visual acuity in the remaining eye were included.
• Standardized time trade-off (TTO) utility assessment was used for visual (TTO-A) and cosmetic (TTO-B) restoration.
• The National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (VFQ-25) was administered to assess visual function.

Main Results:

• Mean TTO values for visual function (0.87) and cosmetic restoration (0.90) were high and significantly correlated.
• Utility values did not correlate with the visual acuity of the fellow eye or the duration of anophthalmia.
• The mean VFQ-25 composite score (81.0) was lower than in the general population, but did not correlate with TTO values.

Conclusions:

• Patients with acquired anophthalmia and good vision in one eye report utility comparable to individuals with two eyes and impaired binocular vision.
• The VFQ-25 is not a reliable predictor of time trade-off utility values in this patient group.