Comparison of Quality of Life in Patients with Glaucoma Undergoing Shunt Surgery and Trabeculectomy

Abstract

Introduction: Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of irreversible blindness worldwide and one of the three causes of visual
impairment in developed countries. In addition to visual impairment and increased treatment costs, this disease also affects the quality of life of patients.
Patients and Methods: This cohort study was performed on patients with glaucoma. All patients were definitively diagnosed with glaucoma, then patients in both groups underwent surgery. In selected patients, intraocular pressure was within the desired range after surgery. Finally, the vision-related quality of life before and 6 months after surgery was assessed by using the VFQ-25 questionnaire.
Results: 80 patients were included in the study. A significant difference was observed between the two groups (P = 0.006) in terms of
gender. The mean age of patients undergoing shunt surgery was 55.6 ± 15.8 years and in patients undergoing trabeculectomy was 56.9 ± 17.5 years, which showed no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.723). Furthermore, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of living conditions (P = 0.327). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of family history of glaucoma (P = 0.259). A significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the duration of glaucoma (P = 0.012).
Conclusion: No significant difference was found between shunt surgery and trabeculectomy in terms of impact on patients' quality of life.