Impact on quality of life of keratoconus patients treated with accelerated “epi-on” corneal collagen crosslinking technique: results from the NEI VFQ-25 Questionnaire in a Romanian population

Objective: The main objective of this study was to describe vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) in a Romanian population of patients with keratoconus who underwent the accelerated “epi-on” corneal collagen crosslinking procedure and to evaluate the association with demographic data of age, gender and civil status (married, cohabitants or non-cohabitants). Method: The National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25) was administered to 72 patients with keratoconus who had undergone a minimally invasive procedure. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used to determine the distribution of demographic parameters and a possible association between this parameter and the scores obtained on the NEI VFQ-25 questionnaire. Results: Based on the answers to the questionnaire we calculated the mean (SD) VFQ-25 total score, which was 73,97 (15,11), whilst scores for the subscales varied from 49.93 to 84,23. No significant difference was observed between the demographic parameters and the NEI VFQ-25 items, except for one item (being with others) when comparing paired and non-paired participants. Conclusion: In a Romanian population with keratoconus being treated with accelerated “epi-on” corneal collagen crosslinking procedure, VRQoL was reported at a high baseline level. The value of this information is significant when discussing patients’ expectations during treatment. The VRQoL was not affected by age or civil status.