Anaesthesia techniques for cataract surgery: a survey of delegates to the Congress of the International Council of Ophthalmology, 2002

Abstract

Background: Cataract surgery is performed using various regional, local, or topical anaesthetic techniques and agents and general anaesthesia. As there is continuous change in the popularity of these techniques, an estimate of current anaesthetic practices for cataract surgery around the world was derived. This allows comparison of techniques and practices internationally and may serve as a baseline for future surveys.

Methods: At the 2002 Congress of the International Council of Ophthalmology held in Sydney, Australia, ophthalmic surgeons from around the world were surveyed with regard to their anaesthetic techniques for cataract surgery.

Results: It was found that almost all cataract surgery was performed using regional anaesthesia. Surgeons performed just over half of the anaesthetics; however, in some countries anaesthetists performed the vast majority of eye anaesthetics. The most frequently employed technique was the peribulbar block, but a substantial minority were performed under topical anaesthesia. An anaesthesia-trained person monitored most patients during cataract surgery, and the most commonly used local anaesthetic was lignocaine.

Conclusion: Although there is a single most frequent practice in the type of regional block employed for cataract surgery among the delegates, and general anaesthesia is seldom used, individual countries have very different results regarding the anaesthetic used and the role of the anaesthetist.