Comparision of Ocular pain Between Topical and Retrobulbar Anesthesia for Cataract Surgery

ABSTRACT

We analysed a perceiving pain at each step (8 step traction suture, wound incision, anterior capsulotomy, phacoemulsification, irrigation and aspiration, intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, wound suture, subtenon's injection) of cataract surgery by using visual analogue scale (0-10), prospectively. One hundred cases of cataract surgery were performed from November 1995 to March 1996 at Chonnam national university hospital and topical or retrobulbar anesthesia prior to cataract surgery was applied to each 50 patients. There was no difference of age, sex, running time for surgery, and incision method between topical and retrobulbar anesthesia. Pain scores at phacoemulsi fication. irrigation and aspiration, and subtenon's injection were higher than those at other steps in both types of anesthesia. However, a major range of pain scores at each step except of subtenon's injection was mild (1-3). In topical anesthesia, pain score was higher than retrobulbar anesthesia, but there was no statistically significant difference except a step of subtenon's injection. In conclusion, topical anesthesia might be an adequate anesthetic method for cataract surgery.