[Phacoemulsification and topical anesthesia. Apropos of 40 cases].
BACKGROUND
To evaluate topical anaesthesia for cataract surgery.


METHODS
Thirty-nine patients (40 eyes) underwent cataract surgery by phacoemulsification with topical anaesthesia consisting in instillations of tetracaine eyedrops. Thirty-four eyes were implanted with a foldable lens and 6 eyes received a PMMA lens. Final visual acuity (1 month minimum follow-up), patients reactions (sensibility, pain), anaesthetic and surgery difficulties were specially studied.


RESULTS
Mean initial corrected visual acuity was 0.21. Mean final corrected visual acuity was 0.72; 90 % of the subjects experienced no pain. Implantation was the most sensitive moment. Eye mobility was not a problem except during capsulhorexis which had to be done with forceps.


CONCLUSIONS
Simplicity of topical anaesthesia eliminates the complications of the other anaesthetic methods. It is necessary to have a close patient-surgeon relationship. Carefully chosen topical anaesthesia is an interesting alternative.
Roman
S
S
Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, Paris.
Pietrini
D
D
Auclin
F
F
Keller
M
M
Ullern
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D000075202:Contraindications; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods; D011184:Postoperative Period; D014792:Visual Acuity
Phacoemulsification et anesthesie topique. A propos de 40 cas.