title: Is fasting required before cataract surgery? A retrospective review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possibility that fasting is not required before cataract surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who had cataract surgery alone (not combined with corneal or glaucoma surgery) at Mount St. Joseph Hospital between April 1, 2007, and March 31, 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three methods were used to determine whether any cases of aspiration pneumonia after cataract surgery had occurred: recall by the supervising anaesthetist, a search of hospital medical records for admissions with a diagnosis of pneumonia, and recall by the operating surgeons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 5125 cases of cataract surgery, no case of aspiration pneumonia was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that it is safe to perform cataract surgery under topical or infiltration anaesthesia with intravenous sedation without fasting prior to surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Suren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sanmugasunderam
authors.forename: Aniz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khalfan
mesh_terms: D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005215:Fasting; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000517:prevention & control; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives