title: Improvements in vision-related quality of life in blind patients implanted with the Argus II Epiretinal Prosthesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this analysis is to report the change in quality of life (QoL) after treatment with the Argus II Epiretinal Prosthesis in patients with end-stage retinitis pigmentosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Vision and Quality of Life Index (VisQoL) was used to assess changes in QoL dimensions and overall utility score in a prospective 30-patient single-arm clinical study. VisQoL is a multi-attribute instrument consisting of six dimensions (injury, life, roles, assistance, activity and friendship) that may be affected by visual impairment. Within each dimension, patients were divided into two groups based on how much their QoL was affected by their blindness at baseline (moderate/severe or minimal). Outcomes were compared within each dimension sub-group between baseline and the combined follow-up periods using the Friedman test. In addition, data from the six dimensions were combined into a single utility score, with baseline data compared to the combined follow-up periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 80 per cent of the patients reported difficulty in one or more dimensions pre-implant. Composite VisQoL utility scores at follow-up showed no statistically significant change from baseline; however, in three of the six VisQoL dimensions (injury, life and roles), patients with baseline deficits showed significant and lasting improvement after implantation with Argus II. In two of the three remaining dimensions (assistance and activity), data trended toward an improvement. In the final VisQoL dimension (friendship), none of the patients reported baseline deficits, suggesting that patients had largely adjusted to this attribute.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients whose vision negatively affected them with respect to three VisQoL dimensions (that is, getting injured, coping with the demands of their life and fulfilling their life roles) reported significant improvement in QoL after implantation of the Argus II retinal prosthesis. Furthermore, the benefit did not deteriorate at any point during the 36-month follow-up, suggesting a long-term, durable improvement.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors: Jacque L
authors: JL
authors: Duncan
authors: IM3 Inc, Vancouver, Washington, USA.
authors: Thomas P
authors: TP
authors: Richards
authors: Lighthouse Guild International, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Aries
authors: A
authors: Arditi
authors: Vitreoretinal Service, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.
authors: Lyndon
authors: L
authors: da Cruz
authors: Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Gislin
authors: G
authors: Dagnelie
authors: Second Sight Medical Products, Sylmar, California, USA.
authors: Jessy D
authors: JD
authors: Dorn
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Allen C
authors: AC
authors: Ho
authors: Roski Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors: Lisa C
authors: LC
authors: Olmos de Koo
authors: Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, Paris, France.
authors: Pierre-Olivier
authors: PO
authors: Barale
authors: Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester, UK.|Manchester Vision Regeneration Laboratory at NIHR/Wellcome Trust Manchester CRF, Manchester, UK.
authors: Paulo E
authors: PE
authors: Stanga
authors: Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Thumann
authors: Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors: Yizhong
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Second Sight Medical Products, Sylmar, California, USA.
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D011788:Quality of Life; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D057488:Visual Prosthesis
keywords: Argus II retinitis pigmentosa; VisQoL; vision-related quality of life