Is second eye phacoemulsification really more painful?
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate a numerical data set for intraoperative pain during phacoemulsification and compare the pain scores for first and second procedures.


METHODS
From 200 consecutive cases requiring bilateral cataract removals 187 were enrolled into this prospective, observational, single-surgeon, single-centre study. To evaluate the pain a 10-point visual analogue scale was used. The pain scores for both eyes of each patient were collected perioperatively (T) as well as 2-4 weeks (mean: 2.43 weeks) later, at the follow-up visit (C). Data were pooled and the four groups were compared by ANOVA All Pairweise Multiple Comparison Procedures.


RESULTS
Median C-score was 1 for both eyes, T-score was 1 and 0 for the first and second eye, respectively. There wasn't any difference between the first and second eyes either in T- (1.50 ± 1.43 vs 1.51 ± 1.36) or in C-scores (0.71 vs 1.10). C-values were lower than T-values for either eye (0.71 vs 1.50 and 1.10 vs 1.51), indicating that patients recalled less pain 2-3 weeks after the surgery than that they indicated on the day of the procedure


CONCLUSIONS
Consecutive phacoemulsifications do not differ in the perceived pain nevertheless, patients may believe the second eye surgery more painful because they practically compare it with the lower remembered pain for the first eye procedure. In order to avoid any disappointment we suggest warning patients before their second eye operations that they are likely to experience more pain or discomfort.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Szeged, Koranyi fasor 10-11, 6720, Szeged, Hungary. harikovacs@gmail.com
Andras
A
Hari-Kovacs
Peter
P
Lovas
Andrea
A
Facsko
Ian D
ID
Crate
D000368:Aged; D058447:Eye Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome