Local anaesthesia for cataract surgery

A comparative evaluation of local anaesthesia for cataract surgery, published in The Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery says that randomized clinical trials are needed to facilitate statistical methods of metaanalysis to establish convincingly the overall benefits and efficacy of the various local anesthesia procedures in cataract surgery.

A comparative evaluation of clinical techniques in terms of efficacy, akinesia, and patient–perceived pain during both anaesthesia administration and intraoperative cataract surgery is presented, along with the prevailing practice patterns of anaesthesia techniques among refractive surgeons in the United Kingdom and United States.

The wide scope of the present review is of relevance in structuring ophthalmology and anaesthesia specialist training programmes for junior staff.