Attitude toward refractive error surgery and other correction methods: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Refractive errors are the most common vision problem and prove to be a significant health issue. There are several methods for correction of refractive errors including spectacles, contact lenses and refractive surgery. Nowadays, the reliance on contact lenses and glasses is decreased by means of refractive eye surgery. Our study aimed to determine the awareness of refractive surgery among undergraduate medical students and their preferred method of refractive error correction. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted among a sample size of 374 medical students at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in June–August 2020. Data were collected through a questionnaire which consisted of 20 questions to assess the demographics, awareness about refractive surgery and preferred method of correction. The data were entered using Microsoft Excel 2016 and analyzed by SPSS version 21. RESULTS: Our results showed that 177 of participants had refractive errors. Most participants complained of myopia (66.7%) and the most preferred correction method was spectacles (45.8%). Among users of spectacles, 53.7% found the spectacles comfortable due to ease of use. Majority of the students (92.1%) were aware of refractive surgery and 73% of them were willing to undergo refractive surgery. Many obtained their information regarding these procedures from family and friends (55.1%). The remaining refused to undergo surgery and the primary reason was fear of the complications of the procedure (14.1%). CONCLUSION: Though corrective refractive surgery is a commonly performed procedure, extensive knowledge regarding this correction method and its complications is poor among medical students. The results showed that the majority have heard of refractive surgery, however, fear of undergoing surgery was still present. We suggest that refractive error correction surgery be taught by physicians during Ophthalmology rotations so that knowledge may be gained from more reliable sources.