title: Pain during external dacryocystorhinostomy with local anesthesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  External dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is often performed under local anesthesia (LA) without adequate knowledge of the pain experienced by the patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  We subdivided our surgical technique into stages easily understood by the patients (introducing cotton tipped applicators, performing parabulbar injection, creating the incision, bone cracking (opening the ostium), manipulating the nose, intubating, closing the wound, and packing with gauze). A total of 50 patients ranging in age from 31 to 83 years of age (63.64±9.64) underwent external DCR. Each patient was asked 30 minutes after surgery to indicate the intensity of pain experienced at each stage of the surgery and during intramuscular (i.m.) injection of an antibiotic using a visual analog scale (VAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the VAS-based pain scores indicated 3 statistically equal occurrences of pain coinciding with the opening of the ostium, and receiving both parabulbar anesthetic and i.m. antibiotic injections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of pain experienced during the most unpleasant stage of external DCR (ostium opening) was similar to the pain experienced from an i.m. injection. Patients can be informed that pain during external DCR with local anesthesia is comparable to receiving an i.m. gluteal injection.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. knelemik@gmail.com
authors.forename: Miroslav M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Knežević
authors.forename: Milenko Ž
authors.initials: MŽ
authors.lastname: Stojković
authors.forename: Gordana P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Vlajković
authors.forename: Miloš B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Jovanović
authors.forename: Dejan M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Rašić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement