Comparative study of Sub-Tenons anaesthesia Vs intracameral Vs Peribulbar Anaesthesia for cataract surgery at a Tertiary care eye hospital

This study aims to compare the effectiveness and adequacy of three different types of anaesthesia viz., Sub-Tenon’s, intracameral and peribulbar anaesthesia in cataract surgery in providing pain relief to the patient, ease of doing surgery to the surgeon and anaesthesia related complications during the surgery. The objectives of the study are to compare patients’ comfort levels during administration of anaesthesia intraoperatively and post operatively. All patients aged 20 - 70 years coming to ophthalmology OPD of ESIC medical college and hospital with cataract and planned for cataract surgery will be subjected to the study after taking informed consent. Patients will be divided into 3 groups using simple randomization. One group will be given sub-tenon’s anaesthesia, second group will be given peribulbar anaesthesia and the third group will be given intra cameral anaesthesia

Patients undergoing the surgery will be questioned immediately after the completion of surgery on parameters such as anxiety (Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS)), pain assessment with visual analogue scale (1 to 10) pre operative, intra operative and post operative, akinesia scored 0 to 2 (0=Total akinesia ,1=Partial akinesia,2= No akinesia) and visual recovery. Patient’s comfort level is scored 1 to 5 (1-Pain/discomfort all the time, 2- Pain/Discomfort many times, 3- Occasional pain but tolerable, 4- Occasional discomfort but no pain and 5 – No pain/discomfort). Patient’s cooperation during the surgery is scored 1 to 5 (1- Repetitive instruction for fixation required [>5], 2- Often has to instruct [3- 5], 3- Few times instruction needed [2], 4- Very less often needed instruction [1], 5- No instruction required after starting surgery). Data on complications associated with type of anaesthetic technique will be noted.