Quality of life of medically versus surgically treated glaucoma patients.

PURPOSE: To assess and compare the impact of medical and surgical glaucoma treatments on patients' health-related Quality of Life (QoL).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the 25-question version of the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) for this cross-sectional study. Patients were divided into 3 groups: 1 (medical treatment); 2 (surgical treatment), and 3 (medical and surgical treatment). Comparisons among groups were carried out for demographic and clinical characteristics and for the NEI VFQ-25 scores.

RESULTS: Of the 240 invited patients, 225 were enrolled for this study. Groups were homogenous for age, sex, race, type of glaucoma, and level of education. The mean overall score was 78.46, 65.85, and 60.51 for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P<0.001). Type of therapy, visual acuity, and comorbidity were associated with QoL scores. When controlled by glaucoma stages, surgery had a negative impact on the QoL only in early glaucoma.

CONCLUSIONS: Glaucoma surgery is associated with a lower QoL in patients with early glaucoma due mainly to the psychological burden. In moderate and advanced glaucomas, the QoL scores did not differ between the surgical and the medical therapy groups.