Eye Glasses and Dentures in the O. R.: The Choice is Yours!

Abstract

Historically, patients have been required to remove their dentures and eye glasses on the pre-surgical ward before being taken to the Operating Room (OR) on the day of surgery. This descriptive study examined the choices made by patients pre-operatively regarding dentures and/or glasses, the reasons given for the choice, and the relative satisfaction with the choice post-operatively.

Of the 213 patients enrolled in this study, 66% were female with an average age of 57 years. Only patients wearing eye glasses or dentures were included. Sixty-nine percent of the patients wearing glasses and 85% wearing dentures chose to wear them to the OR. When asked post-operatively about their satisfaction with their choice, 95% indicated that they were very satisfied with their choice and that it was the best decision they could possibly have made. No glasses or dentures were broken or lost during the study.