Combined ocular anesthesia via a single entry.

Although topical anesthesia techniques for cataract surgery are evolving, injections are unavoidable in some cases. Our technique of injecting local anesthetic agents for akinesia of the orbicularis oculi and the globe via a single entry near the lateral canthus decreases the pain and patient anxiety about the number of injections and avoids the complications of retrobulbar injection.

Relation between corneal thickness and intraocular pressure measurement by noncontact and applanation tonometry.

PURPOSE: To assess whether there is a significant difference in intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements between noncontact and applanation methods and if so, whether the difference is correlated with corneal thickness. SETTING: Isik Eye Clinic, Ankara, Turkey. METHODS: This prospective study comprised 120 eyes of 60 randomly selected patients. Noncontact tonometry, applanation tonometry, and pachymetry were performed in each eye. The results were compared and an analysis was performed to determine whether there was a correlation between the differences in IOP measurements and corneal thickness in the entire group and in subgroups composed of the halves and quarters of the group. RESULTS: The mean IOP in the entire group was 20.38 mm Hg +/- 4.97 (SD) with the noncontact tonometer and 18.84 +/- 4.47 mm Hg with the Goldmann applanation tonometer. The difference between the measurements with the noncontact method and those with the applanation method was statistically significant (P <.01) except in cases having a corneal thickness between 513 microm and 539 microm (P >.01). There was a positive correlation between corneal thickness and the difference in measurements by noncontact and applanation tonometry, and the magnitude of correlation was greater in cases with thicker corneas. CONCLUSION: The reliability of tonometers decreased with increasing corneal thickness, in which case higher readings were found, especially with the noncontact tonometer.

Accurate time interval in repeated tonometry.

PURPOSE: Determination of the accurate interval between the measurements in repeated tonometry. METHODS: Two hundred-and-seventy subjects were randomly divided into 6 groups. Two successive intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were performed with Goldmann-type applanation tonometer at different time intervals in each group. The time intervals between the two measurements were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 minutes. The results in each group were statistically analyzed with the significance test for matched observations. RESULTS: We recorded a statistically significant difference between the first and the second IOP measurements at 1, 3, 4 and 5-minute-intervals. The differences were not significant at 2 and 10 minute-groups. CONCLUSION: The time interval between successive IOP measurements should be 2 or 10 minutes for accurate tonometry.