“Effectiveness of Topical Vs Retrobulbar Anesthesia in Cataract Surgery”

Introduction: Local anesthesia has become preferable to general anesthesia for cataract surgery due to improvements in techniques and instrumentation. The advantages of local anesthesia are well known and include more rapid ambulation, the ability to perform the procedure as an outpatient, avoidance of complications of general anesthesia, and quicker surgery. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of topical and retrobulbar anesthesia for cataract surgeries. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study and was conducted in the Department of Anaesthesia, analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from July, 2022 to August, 2023. In our study, we included 60 patients who were undergoing cataract surgery. Patients were divided into two groups – Group A (Patients who received topical anesthesia) and Group B (Patients who received retrobulbar anesthesia. Result: The mean age of study patients was 73.4 ± 8.9 and 74.2 ± 7.4 in Groups A and B respectively. The mean Pain score was 0.87 ± 1.41 and 0.74 ± 1.70 in Groups A and B respectively. The most common preoperative risk factor was exfoliation syndrome (40% in group A and 30% in group B). Twenty-eight patients (93%) in the topical anesthesia group and 60% in the retrobulbar anesthesia group reported no pain at all. Conclusion: In conclusion, topical anesthetic, as opposed to retrobulbar anesthesia, offers the surgeon good surgical conditions and comfortable operating circumstances for the patient, even in challenging instances with related ocular comorbidities.