Comparison between Subjective Sensations during First and Second Phacoemulsification Eye Surgeries in Patients with Bilateral Cataract

Abstract

Purpose. To evaluate and compare the subjective sensations reported by patients during first and second cataract extractions. Methods. Consecutive patients undergoing bilateral sequential cataract extraction using phacoemulsification were recruited. Following cataract surgery, patients completed questionnaires designed to evaluate subjective sensations, including anxiety, eye bulges, pain, and light sensitivity. Changes in painful sensations experienced by patients between the two surgeries were also recorded. Comparisons were also performed for each subjective sensation between different age groups (<50, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and >79 years). Results. A total of 127 patients were included in the final evaluation. Statistical comparison of the results showed that there were significant differences in perception of anxiety, eye bulges, and pain scores between the first and second cataract surgeries (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference for light sensitivity scores between the two surgeries (P = 0.555). The differences in anxiety, perception of eye bulges, pain, and light sensitivity scores between both the surgeries showed no correlation with age (P > 0.05 for all). Conclusions. Our research confirms the common observation that patients with bilateral cataracts often report more ocular discomfort during the second surgery. There are, therefore, additional factors that should be considered upon treating patients with bilateral cataracts, and the provision of preoperative counseling could play an important role in providing adequate patient care.

<p>Outcomes and Adverse Events of Sub-Tenon’s Anesthesia with the Use of a Flexible Cannula in 35,850 Refractive Lens Exchange/Cataract Procedures</p>

“…We found a subtle, but statistically significant increase in pain in patients undergoing second eye surgery. This has previously been reported for various types of ophthalmic anesthesia [22][23][24][25][26][27] and is likely to be related to the lower preoperative anxiety prior to second eye surgery, 25,26 or amnestic effect of intravenous sedation. 26 In this study, sub-Tenon's anesthesia achieved great results with complete akinesia and we highlighted some advantages of this technique over cataract/refractive lens exchange performed with topical anesthesia only.…”

Comparing Trabeculectomy Outcomes between First and Second Operated Eyes: A Multicenter Study

“…A pain-related inflammatory chemokine was significantly increased in aqueous humor in the fellow eye after first-eye cataract surgery. This suggested there may be a sympathetic ophthalmic type uveitis in the contralateral eye after first-eye cataract surgery [ 21 ],[ 22 ].…”

<p>Comparison of Subjective Preoperative Experiences of Patients Before First- or Second-Eye Cataract Surgeries</p>

“…These studies have suggested that patients undergoing their second-cataract surgery tend to experience less anxiety and greater pain than those undergoing their first-cataract surgery. 4,[10][11][12] There is, however, a lack of detailed knowledge about patients' subjective feelings just prior to cataract surgery. Accordingly, in this study, we aimed to investigate patient feedback related to various aspects of surgical preparation and the waiting period before cataract surgery depending on whether patients were undergoing their first-or secondcataract surgeries.…”