Topical anesthesia for cataract surgery: a population-based perspective

Abstract

Purpose To analyze the anesthetic regimen and sedation in a population-based cohort of unselected cataract surgery cases operated on with the goal of maximizing the percentage of patients with topical anesthesia and no sedation. Setting Department of Ophthalmology, Norrlands University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden. Methods This prospective observational population-based study comprised all patients having cataract surgery during a 1 year period at 1 institution. Data were collected from the patients’ records, which were standardized. Outcome measures were use of preoperative sedation, type of anesthesia, intraoperative complications, and adverse events. Results The study comprised 890 cases performed by 4 surgeons. Seventy-two percent of patients had no sedation and topical anesthesia only. All patients except 1 who had previous cataract surgery with topical anesthesia chose the same method for their second-eye surgery. The rate of posterior capsule rupture was in the expected range for a population with high incidences of pseudoexfoliation and mature cataract. Conclusions It is possible to achieve a high percentage of effective topical anesthesia for cataract surgery in a population-based setting. The findings have implications for cost-containment in health services.