Fear of Blindness in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery.

Background: Fear is a negative emotion induced by the threat of danger, pain and harm. Cataract surgery is one of the most performed surgeries in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the predominant fears in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Subjects And Methods: In this cross-sectional study 152 patients were examined. Self-designed questionnaires to examine emotions of the fear, anxiety, nervousness frequency gratitude was used and insecurity immediately before cataract surgery. We also examined what the greatest fear during the cataract surgery was. The fear of blindness was compared with other life fears such as cancer, memory loss, AIDS, stroke and heart attack. The presence of fear was compared in patients having had previous cataract surgery with those undergoing their first cataract surgery. Including criteria were adults with senile cataract. Excluding criteria was ocular co-morbidity, psychiatric disorders, inability to read, deafness and surgery under general anesthesia. Completed questionnaires were analyzed. Pearson's chi-squared test was used.

Results: Fear was the most frequent emotion before cataract surgery, present in 60.5% patients. Fear of blindness was the greatest fear during cataract surgery in 55.3% of patients. There was no statistically significant difference in fear in patients having undergone their first cataract surgery and patients before their second cataract surgery (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Fear is the predominant emotion before cataract surgery which is in correlation to the leading life fear - fear of blindness. Good preoperative preparation and a trusting doctor-patient relationship are important for reducing the fear of the procedure.