A comprehensive clinical study about patching after strabismus surgery
Wenqiu Zhang1, Jihong Zeng, Jinying Liao
1Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan - P.R. China.
Insights
Postoperative eye patching after pediatric strabismus surgery did not reduce pain. Patching increased crying time and pain scores, suggesting it is unnecessary for pain management or infection prevention.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pain Management
Background:
- Postoperative eye patching is sometimes used in pediatric strabismus surgery.
- Its psychological and physiological effects require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychological and physiological effects of postoperative eye patching in children undergoing strabismus surgery.
- To determine if patching impacts pain perception, crying time, or physiological parameters.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study of 61 pediatric strabismus patients.
- Randomized into patching and no-patching groups.
- Assessed pain using Faces Pain Scale-Revised, numerical rating scales, and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale (CHEOPS), alongside crying time and physiological parameters.
Main Results:
- Patching group had significantly longer crying times.
- No significant difference in self-reported pain scores between groups.
- Postoperative CHEOPS scores were lower in the no-patching group.
- No significant differences in physiological parameters were observed.
Conclusions:
- Postoperative eye patching is not necessary for reducing pain after strabismus surgery in children.
- Patching does not appear to reduce the risk of infection.
- Current evidence suggests avoiding routine patching to improve patient comfort.
Purpose:
Patching of the operative eye is occasionally used in pediatric strabismus surgery. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological and physiologic effects of patching after operation by multifactorial methods.
Methods:
We analyzed the perioperative behaviors of 61 children with strabismus conducted from June 2012 to July 2013 in this prospective longitudinal study. The children were randomized into 2 groups. Patients in the patching group underwent postoperative patching and others received no patching. Main outcome measures included The Faces Pain Scale-Revised score or numerical rating scales score, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale (CHEOPS) score, crying time, and preoperative and postoperative physiologic parameters.
Results:
Crying time was significantly longer in the patching group than in the no patching group, but self-report scores showed no difference in the groups. Repeated-measures analysis of variance on ranks revealed that postoperative CHEOPS score was lower in the no patching group than in the patching group, whereas no physiologic parameters were significantly different in the 2 groups.
Conclusions:
Patching is not necessary for reducing postoperative pain or the risk of infection in children undergoing strabismus surgery.
