Quality of life in patients with strabismus: Assessment of the preoperative and postoperative psychosocial and functional aspects.

Purpose: To determine the influence of strabismus and its surgical correction on the preoperative and postoperative functional and psychosocial aspects of patients being treated at the CEROF/UFG Strabismus Outpatient Clinic.

Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included 27 patients, aged >7 years that were divided into two groups (<18 years and >18 years). The AS 20 questionnaire is composed of two domains (psychosocial and functional). Each domain includes 10 questions, which should be answered using a 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaire was administered preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. In patients aged <18 years, the questionnaire was concurrently administered to their parents and/or guardians.

Results: Preoperatively, the average psychosocial and functional scores were 55 (p=0.01) and 57.5 (p=0.025), respectively, in adults, 70 (p=0.03) and 78.7 (p=0.16), respectively, in children and adolescents, and 46.2 (p=0.002) and 57.5 (p=0.003), respectively, in the parents and/or guardians. Postoperatively, the average psychosocial and functional scores were 80 (p=0.01) and 82.5 (p=0.025), respectively, in adults, 81.2 (p=0.03) and 85 (p=0.16), respectively, in children and adolescents, and 83.7 (p=0.002) and 86.2 (p=0.003), respectively, in parents and/or guardians.

Conclusion: The postoperative scores in the psychosocial (p=0.001), functional (p=0.001) and general (p<0.001) domains had increased in all the patients, demonstrating an improvement in the quality of life following strabismus correction surgery.