Sub-Tenon's anaesthesia versus topical anaesthesia for cataract surgery

Abstract

Sub-Tenon anaesthesia provides better pain relief than topical anaesthesia for cataract surgery.

Trends and complications of local anaesthesia in cataract surgery: an 8-year analysis of 12 992 patients

“…Ghada and Sherif17 also found no difference in intraoperative complications between topical and subtenon anaesthesia. On the other hand, a Cochrane review by Davison et al 18 found that PCR occurred twice as much in subtenon block compared with topical anaesthesia (4.3% vs 2.1%), corroborating our findings, and suggesting that associations possibly do exist.…”

Severe adverse events associated with local anaesthesia in cataract surgery: 1 year national survey of practice and complications in the UK

“…However, the technique requires tissue dissection, and complications can still occur 9. Topical and topical-intracameral LA techniques should have fewer anaesthetic related complications, but there is no akinesia, and there may be a lower level of patient comfort 10 11. Some clinicians have voiced concerns about possible increased rates of surgical complications with topical LA, though recent reviews have been reassuring regarding this issue 12 13…”

Litigation related to regional anaesthesia: an analysis of claims against the NHS in England 1995–2007*

“…During the period of the NHSLA dataset it is likely that such blocks have decreased with a commensurate increase in sub-Tenon's blocks and topical (eye-drop) anaesthesia. While these techniques might be anticipated to lead to a reduction in the number of complications and negligence claims [20], with seven of 12 claims occurring in the second half of the dataset there is no evidence of such an effect to date.…”