The aim of this study was to determine the emotional and sociodemographic characteristics of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to investigate the impact of the disease on their social life and quality of life (QOL). This study included 101 patients with the diagnosis of AS. All patients filled in a questionnaire comprising their sociodemographic and emotional status and their self-rating on the disease and completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The impact of the disease on work status, sexuality, and family relations was measured on a Likert scale. The impact of the disease on employment, family and sexual relations, work life as well as SF-36 was investigated. Therefore, the effect of educational level, employment, social security, and sexual relations with spouse, etc. on QOL were assessed. More than half of the patients had no knowledge about the disease and half of them were not under a physician's control. Thirty-two percent of the previously working patients quit their jobs because of the disease. Quitting a job due to the disease was more frequent in the first 10 years of the disease. The most affected domains of the SF-36 were physical role power, general health, and pain. Patients unemployed due to the disease had lower SF-36 scores compared with employed ones. Unemployed patients without social insurance had lower values on SF-36 subscales (p<0.05). A higher education level had positive influences on disease impact. The level of anxiety was high and was associated with sexual relations (p<0.05). Our results show that the disease affects patients' work and social life. Work disability affects QOL. Educating the patients about the disease may play an important role in improving his/her life quality and coping with the disease. Thus, the socioeconomic burden of the disease on the person and on society can be diminished.

Purpose: To evaluate and to compare the anatomical and functional results of phacovitrectomy and pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) alone for phakic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Methods: Retrospective, comparative case series of 266 phakic eyes that underwent either combined phacovitrectomy or PPV alone for primary retinal detachment. The primary anatomical success rate, the final best-corrected visual acuity, and the refractive outcomes were analyzed. Results: One hundred and twenty-seven eyes were included in the combined group and 139 in the PPV group. The primary anatomical success rate was 84.3% in the combined group and 89.2% in the PPV group (P = 0.311). One hundred and nine (78.4%) eyes of the PPV group required cataract removal for visual rehabilitation during the follow-up period. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the mean final best-corrected visual acuity (P = 0.185) and mean visual changes (P = 0.470). Overall, combined cataract extraction resulted in a significant myopic shift compared with delayed cataract surgery (P = 0.047). Conclusion: Combined phacoemulsification and PPV is a safe and effective procedure to treat retinal detachment. The anatomical and functional results were comparable with those obtained with PPV and delayed cataract surgery. However, the refractive outcomes were less favorable and shifted toward myopia, especially in macula-off cases.

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