nd extreme light sensitivity. Since, keratoconus starts from puberty, young children find difficulty in their studies which contributes to low self-esteem. It’s quite important to treat in early stages.
Corneal crosslinking has grown from an interesting concept to its introduction in clinical practice in the late 1990s when it radically modified conservative management of progressive corneal ectasia with the possibility of strengthening corneal tissue. The primary aim of corneal crosslinking is to stop the progression of corneal ectasia/ Keratoconus.
The research shows that good clear understanding of surgery can enables patients to fully participate in the management decisions and care planning of their condition. The nurse-led pre-operative education to the patients undergoing cross-linking may prove to decrease anxiety and enable patient engagement with their care being able to retain and recall instructions which can impact the recovery and decrease infection rates and increase patient satisfaction. It also helps to reduce cancellations which has adverse impact on hospital finances, waste of resources and affect patients psychologically.
During nurse-led education session, the nurse can assess the patient’s risk factors for procedure, understanding and knowledge/perception of the cross-linking procedure, expectations of intra and post-operative care, stress/anxiety level, cultural or religious beliefs, socio-economic status and support from the family. By keeping the patients at the centre of the pre-operative processes, which can develop confidence, rapport and the confidence in the perception of their care which will aid the educating nurse to develop best plan of care for the individual patient. The education session should be individualised to assess mental and physiological status.
It is the paramount to use the pre-operative patient educational clinic effectively to identify and foresight the patients concerns which can help to minimise disrupted theatre time and it also help for discharge planning of the patients. The patient education session can provide good understanding of the journey ahead, quality care, reduce pre-operative anxiety of patients and families. It also provides holistic needs, support at every step, safe and compassionate care, it also helps to reduce cancellations which has adverse impact on hospital finances, waste of resources and prepare patient psychologically to increase their resilience to
