Assessing patient cosmetic satisfaction after glaucoma drainage device surgery for different patch grafts

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Surgery
• Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Glaucoma drainage devices (GDDs) often utilize patch grafts.
• These grafts can be visible, potentially causing cosmetic concerns.
• Patient cosmetic satisfaction with different patch graft materials is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare patient cosmetic satisfaction with pericardial, scleral, and corneal patch grafts used in superior GDD surgery.
• To identify factors influencing cosmetic satisfaction after GDD implantation.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 92 patients undergoing superior GDD surgery with corneal, scleral, or pericardial patch grafts.
• Cosmetic satisfaction assessed via a telephone-administered questionnaire with Likert-scale questions.
• Binominal logistic regression analyzed the impact of age, gender, graft type, prior surgeries, and visual acuity.

Main Results:

• Overall patient satisfaction with eye appearance ranged from 67-84%, irrespective of graft type.
• Patients receiving corneal or scleral grafts reported a higher likelihood of their eyes appearing 'abnormal' to others.
• Younger age was significantly associated with reporting an abnormal eye appearance.

Conclusions:

• Superior GDD surgery with pericardial, scleral, or corneal patch grafts generally yields good patient cosmetic satisfaction.
• Younger patients, particularly those with corneal or scleral grafts, may perceive their eyes as looking more abnormal.