: Purpose:  To evaluate eye‐amputated patients’ health‐related quality of life, perceived stress, self‐rated health, job separation because of illness or disability and socioeconomic position.Methods:  Patients were recruited from a tertiary referral centre situated in Copenhagen. Inclusion criteria were eye amputation, i.e. evisceration, enucleation, orbital exenteration or secondary implantation of an orbital implant during the period 1996–2003, and participation in a previous investigation (2005).In total, 159 eye‐amputated patients were included, and completed a self‐administered questionnaire containing health‐related quality of life (SF‐36), the perceived stress scale and answered questions about self‐rated health, job changes because of illness or disability and socioeconomic status. These results were compared with findings from the Danish Health Interview Survey 2005.Results:  The eye‐amputated patients had significantly (p < 0.05) lower scores (poorer health) on all SF‐36 subscales and more perceived stress compared to the general population. In all, 43.3% of the patients rated their health as excellent or very good compared to 52.1% of the general population. In total, 25% of the study population has retired or changed to a part‐time job because of eye disease.The percentage of eye amputated patients, who were divorced or separated, was twice as high as in the general population.Conclusion:  The impact of an eye amputation is considerable. The quality of life, perceived stress and self‐rated health of many eye‐amputated patients are drastically changed. Eye amputation has a marked negative influence on job separation because of illness or disability and on socioeconomic position.

Importance: Patients with nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are encouraged to use the Amsler grid test for self-assessment to facilitate early diagnosis. The test is widely recommended, suggesting a belief that it signals worsening AMD, warranting its use in home monitoring.Objective: To systematically review studies of the diagnostic test accuracy of the Amsler grid in the diagnosis of neovascular AMD and to perform diagnostic test accuracy meta-analyses.Data Sources: A systematic literature search was conducted in 12 databases for relevant titles from database inception until May 7, 2022.Study Selection: Studies included those with groups defined as having (1) neovascular AMD and (2) either healthy eyes or eyes with nonneovascular AMD. The index test was the Amsler grid. The reference standard was ophthalmic examination. After removal of obviously irrelevant reports, 2 authors (J.B. and M.S.) independently screened the remaining references in full text for potential eligibility. Disagreements were resolved by a third author (Y.S.).Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two authors (J.B. and I.P.) independently extracted all data and evaluated quality and applicability of eligible studies using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2. Disagreements were resolved by a third author (Y.S.).Main Outcomes and Measures: Sensitivity and specificity of the Amsler grid for detecting neovascular AMD with comparators being either healthy control participants or patients with nonneovascular AMD.Results: Of 523 records screened, 10 studies were included with a total of 1890 eyes (mean participant age ranging from 62 to 83 years). Sensitivity and specificity to diagnose neovascular AMD were 67% (95% CI, 51%-79%) and 99% (95% CI, 85%-100%), respectively, when comparators were healthy control participants and 71% (95% CI, 60%-80%) and 63% (95% CI, 49%-51%), respectively, when control participants were patients with nonneovascular AMD. Overall, potential sources of bias were low across studies.Conclusions and Relevance: Although the Amsler grid is easy and inexpensive to use for detection of metamorphopsia, its sensitivity may be at levels typically not recommended for monitoring. Coupling this lower sensitivity with only moderate specificity to identify neovascular AMD in a population at risk, these findings suggest that such patients typically should be encouraged to undergo ophthalmic examination regularly, regardless of any results of Amsler grid self-assessment.

To describe the prevalence of phantom eye syndrome in eye-amputated patients, to give a description of visual hallucinations, and to identify triggers, stoppers, and emotions related to visual hallucinations. The hospital database was screened, using surgery codes for patients who had received ocular evisceration, enucleation, or secondary implantation of an orbital implant in the period 1993-2003. A total of 267 patients was found and invited to participate, 173 accepted. Patients who accepted participation had their records reviewed, and a structured interview about visual hallucinations and pain was performed by one trained questioner (M.L.R.R.). The prevalence of phantom eye syndrome was 51%. Elementary visual hallucinations were present in 36%, complex visual hallucinations in only 1%, and other visual hallucinations in 14%. The elementary visual hallucinations were most often white or colored light, as a continuous sharp light or as moving dots. The most frequent triggers were darkness, closing of the eyes, fatigue, and psychological stress; 54% of patients had the experience more than once a week. Ten patients were so visually disturbed that it interfered with their daily life. Phantom eye syndrome is common, and the authors recommend that surgeons inform their patients about the phenomenon.