Long-term quality of life and visual functioning in patients in the macular photocoagulation study: A pilot study

Purpose. To assess the feasibility of a long-term evaluation of quality of life (QOL) and visual functioning in patients treated with laser and untreated controls who enrolled in the Macular Photocoagulation Study at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute betwetn 1986 and 1989 and presented with subfoveal choroidal neovascularizaticn (CNV). Methods. All surviving patients were contacied by letter in 1995 requesting consent to participate. Those who consented were interviewed by telephone using the SF-36 Health Survey and the Activities of Daily Vision Scale (ADVS). Additional questions to assess current ophthalmic status were asked. Results. Of 68 CNV patients enrolled at Wilmer, 49 (75%) were alive when the QOL study was initiated. Of these, 13 (27%) did not consent; 2 consented but could not be interviewed. Interviews were completed for 16 patients in the treated group and 18 in the untreated group. Average time since enrollment in the CNV trial was 8 years. In univariate analysis comparing scores in 8 SF-36 and 5 ADVS dimensions, no significant differences between the two groups were found, with the exception of general health perception (SF-36), in which the untreated group scored better. Conclusions. These result; support the feasibility of evaluating QOL in this study group. Although laser therapy in the MPS trials was effective in reducing the risk of severe vision loss, it is unclear whether treated patients have improved overall QOL or visual functioning. However, the small number of patients available at a single MPS center may make it impossible to identify a clear treatment-related advantage in QOL and vision if it exists. Expansion of the research to other MPS center; might provide valuable information to address this important question.