Topical Jelly and Intracameral Anesthesia Versus Subtenon Anesthesia, in Cataract Surgery: Preference and Surgical Conditions

The options for anesthesia in cataract surgery described are: general, regional or local. The local strategy, it may be by periocular blocking(subtenon, peribulbar or retrobulbar), subconjunctival or topical. The risks faced by subconjunctival, peribulbar or retrobulbar, have made subtenon and topical strategies the most used. Likewise, to improve the effectiveness of the topical strategy was added gel topical lidocaine and intracameral dose of lidocaine.

Subtenon and topical anesthesia are two safe strategies and there were performed multiple studies showing that both are effective in controlling pain, but showing a slight superiority of subtenon. This difference does not appear to be clinically significant. In turn, the addition of gel and intracameral anesthesia, improved pain control. However, lack evidence to compare patient preference when using topical gel and intracameral anesthesia versus sub-Tenon anesthesia.

Multiple advantages has the topical anesthesia. Besides being a safe strategy for the patient, offers a rapid visual recovery, no generates blepharoptosis or diplopia postoperatively, subconjunctival hemorrhage and chemosis.

Because of this the investigators plan to conduct a study comparing the efficacy of gel topical and intracameral anesthesia versus subtenon anesthesia in cataract surgery with scleral incision, assessing the patient's preference Hypothesis: Topical administration of lidocaine in gel and intracameral anesthesia is a better strategy that subtenon anesthesia in cataract surgery