title: Retrobulbar catheter anesthesia as a routine technique for retinal and vitreoretinal surgery.
abstract: To ascertain the safety of the retrobulbar catheter technique for intraoperative local anesthesia and titratable postoperative analgesia, 1,423 consecutive retinal or vitreoretinal surgeries were reviewed. Using a commercially available retrobulbar needle, a 28-gauge flexible catheter was introduced into the retrobulbar space before surgery and was removed the next morning. When pain occurred, a local anesthetic was re-injected intraoperatively or postoperatively through the catheter. None of the patients had intraoperative or postoperative complications. The retrobulbar catheter anesthesia may be a relatively safe procedure for prolonged intraoperative anesthesia and titratable postoperative analgesia in retinal and vitreoretinal surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Faculty of Clinical Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Jost B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Hemmerling
authors.forename: Gangolf
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sauder
mesh_terms: D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009915:Orbit; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local