Articaine versus bupivacaine/lidocaine for sub-tenon's anaesthesia in cataract surgery: a comparative study

The efficacy and safety of articaine 2% were compared with a mixture of lidocaine 2% and bupivacaine 0.5% in sub- Tenon's anaesthesia for cataract extraction. The study included 40 patients randomly allocated to one of the two groups. Sub-Tenon's anaesthesia using articaine 2% resulted in a more rapid onset of motor block in comparison with bupivacaine lidocaine mixture [p = 0.03 1]. Mean time to readiness for surgery was also lower [p = 0.0076]. We concluded that articaine 2% is a suitable alternative to the traditional mixture of bupivacaine 0.5%/lidocaine 2%. It has a more rapid onset of action and a wider distribution within the orbital muscle cone. It has a very low systemic toxicity and does not require the addition of epinephrine