Survey of patient understanding and satisfaction in glaucoma filtering surgery.

Abstract

Objectives: To assess patients' understanding of glaucoma surgery and their postoperative satisfaction, to study the factors that may influence them, and to investigate correlations between these two determining factors.

Design: A multi-center observational study.

Subjects: Patients scheduled for glaucoma filtration surgery were included.

Methods: Participants responded preoperatively to a questionnaire developed after literature review, evaluating their understanding of the surgery, and to a second questionnaire evaluating their postoperative satisfaction, between 2 and 3 months after surgery.

Main outcome measures: The primary outcomes were mean scores for preoperative understanding and postoperative satisfaction. The influence of demographic, clinical and surgical factors on comprehension and satisfaction was analyzed using univariate and multivariate models.

Results: In this study, 97 patients responded to the questionnaire evaluating their understanding of the surgery preoperatively. Postoperative satisfaction could be evaluated in 86 of them. The mean understanding score was 13.4 ± 5.4 (out of 25). Level of education (p<0.01) and reading the French Society of Ophthalmology's information form on glaucoma filtering surgery (p<0.05) were statistically correlated with a better understanding after multivariate analysis. The mean postoperative satisfaction score was 7.13 ± 3.0 (out of 10). Needling (p<0.01) and resumption of hypotensive treatment (p<0.001) were statistically correlated with poorer satisfaction after multivariate analysis. In addition, poorer preoperative understanding was correlated with lower postoperative satisfaction with a Pearson coefficient of 0.42 [95% CI 0.23-0.57 (p<0.01)].

Conclusion: Overall, patient understanding was limited, and poor understanding negatively influenced postoperative satisfaction.