The influence of different anesthetic modes on intraocular pressure and ocular pulse amplitude

Abstract

Objective To compare the influence of retrobulbar and sub-Tenon' s anesthesia on intraocular pressure (lOP) and ocular pulse amplitude (OPA). Methods Forty consecutive adult patients with monocular cataract were enrolled in this study and were divided into retrobulbar and sub-Tenon' s group. IOP and OPA were measured with dynamic contour tonometer (DCT) in the operated eye and in the contralateral eye as a control before and at Ⅰ minute and 10 minutes after administration of lidocaine anesthesia. Results With retrobulbar anesthesia, the IOP increased in the injected eyes while no significant change was observed in the control eyes; The lOP remained stable in both eyes with sub-Tenon' s anesthesia. The OPA significantly decreased in the injected eyes with both modes anesthesia after injection of anesthetic agents. The decrease of OPA in the sub - Tenon's group was detected after 10 minutes in the control eyes. In the retrobulbar anesthesia group,the OPA in the control eyes increased significantly at 1 minute after injection and returned to preinjection levels at 10 minutes after injection. Conclusion Retrobulbar anesthesia decreases OPA and increases (IOP). Sub-Tenon's anesthesia reduces OPA and has no obvious influence on IOP. Key words: retrobulbar anesthesia; sub-Tenon' s anesthesia; IOP; OPA; ocular blood flow