Sub-Tenon's versus retrobulbar anesthesia for cataract surgery.
OBJECTIVE
A prospective, randomized, double-blind study was conducted to compare sub-Tenon's anesthesia with retrobulbar anesthesia.


METHODS
One hundred six patients undergoing cataract extraction received either sub-Tenon's anesthesia (55 patients) or retrobulbar anesthesia (51 patients). The number of injections required, time until adequate akinesia was achieved, degree of pain experienced, and complications of the anesthetic injection were compared. The depth of the akinesia after sub-Tenon's injection was graded.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the two study groups with respect to time of onset of adequate akinesia, the need for a second top-up injection, and the effectiveness of the akinesia. The sub-Tenon's injection group reported less pain during the anesthetic injection, as well as during the postoperative injection of subconjunctival gentamicin.


CONCLUSIONS
Sub-Tenon's anesthesia is a safe technique that is comparable to retrobulbar anesthesia.
Khoo
B K
BK
Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Republic of Singapore.
Lim
T H
TH
Yong
V
V
D000368:Aged; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D003238:Connective Tissue; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009915:Orbit; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D008012:Lidocaine