title: Documenting the subjective patient experience of first versus second cataract surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the subjective patient experience after cataract surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single multisurgeon cataract facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective intraindividual observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients completed a questionnaire immediately after cataract extraction performed in their second eye. All patients had second-eye surgery within 6 months of first-eye surgery. Cases longer than 30 minutes were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 292 patients who completed the questionnaire, 12 were excluded based on surgical time. The response rate varied per question. The surgery was rated as taking longer or being more painful in the second eye by 127 patients (45.4%) and in the first eye by 38 patients (13.5%) (P < .05); 115 patients (41.1%) reported no difference. Patients (47.83%) who rated the second eye as the generally more negative experience thought their vision would be better and 3.48% worse (P < .05); 48.70% thought it would be the same. No difference was noted in length of surgery (P = .3) or sedation used (P = .96).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of 125 patients who rated second-eye surgery as the generally more unpleasant procedure, 90 (72.0%) were similarly or more relaxed during the second procedure. Second-eye cataract surgery was perceived as being a longer and/or more painful procedure by a significant number of patients (45.4%), and only 3.48% thought that vision in the second eye would be worse. These results can help surgeons when counseling patients regarding expectations for second surgery.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
authors.affiliation: From the Section of Ophthalmology (Adatia, Munro), University of Calgary, the Mitchell Eye Centre (Adatia), Southern Alberta Eye Center, Calgary, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Jivraj), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Braga-Mele), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Emergency Medicine (Ajani), Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Electronic address: fadatia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Feisal A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Adatia
authors.affiliation: From the Section of Ophthalmology (Adatia, Munro), University of Calgary, the Mitchell Eye Centre (Adatia), Southern Alberta Eye Center, Calgary, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Jivraj), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Braga-Mele), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Emergency Medicine (Ajani), Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.affiliation: From the Section of Ophthalmology (Adatia, Munro), University of Calgary, the Mitchell Eye Centre (Adatia), Southern Alberta Eye Center, Calgary, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Jivraj), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Braga-Mele), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Emergency Medicine (Ajani), Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jivraj
authors.affiliation: From the Section of Ophthalmology (Adatia, Munro), University of Calgary, the Mitchell Eye Centre (Adatia), Southern Alberta Eye Center, Calgary, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Jivraj), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Braga-Mele), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Emergency Medicine (Ajani), Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Abdallah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ajani
authors.affiliation: From the Section of Ophthalmology (Adatia, Munro), University of Calgary, the Mitchell Eye Centre (Adatia), Southern Alberta Eye Center, Calgary, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Jivraj), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, and the Department of Ophthalmology (Braga-Mele), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Emergency Medicine (Ajani), Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Braga-Mele
mesh_terms: D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000523:psychology*; D058447:Eye Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D061646:Operative Time; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires