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Differences in pain experience and cooperation between consecutive surgeries in patients undergoing
Sezen Akkaya1,2, Yelda Buyru Özkurt3, Sibel Aksoy3
1Ophthalmology Department, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, E-5 Üzeri, Üst Bostanci, Istanbul, Turkey. drsezenakkaya@gmail.com.
International Ophthalmology
|July 25, 2016
Summary
Patients undergoing cataract surgery on their second eye reported increased pain and decreased cooperation compared to their first surgery. This effect was more pronounced with shorter intervals between procedures, suggesting memory influences the experience.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Surgical Outcomes
- Pain Management
Background:
- Phacoemulsification is a common cataract surgery technique.
- Bilateral cataract surgery is often performed consecutively.
- Understanding patient experience across multiple procedures is crucial for optimizing care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare pain perception and patient cooperation during consecutive phacoemulsification surgeries.
- To evaluate the impact of prior surgical experience on subsequent procedures.
- To assess the influence of anesthesia type (sub-Tenon's local anesthesia without sedation) on patient experience.
Main Methods:
- 268 patients with bilateral senile cataracts underwent phacoemulsification without sedation.
- Sub-Tenon's local anesthesia was used for both eyes.
- Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS).
- Patient cooperation was graded by the surgeon.
- Outcomes were compared between the first and second eye surgeries.
Main Results:
- Patients reported significantly higher pain scores during anesthesia (3.33 vs 2.11) and surgery (2.10 vs 1.50) in the second eye compared to the first.
- Patient cooperation scores were significantly lower in the second surgery (2.08 vs 1.60).
- These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Previous phacoemulsification surgery increases pain and reduces cooperation in the contralateral eye.
- Shorter intervals (less than 3 months) between surgeries exacerbate these effects.
- Consideration of sedation/analgesia or postponing surgery may be beneficial for subsequent procedures.
