Strabismus surgery under local anaesthesia at a tertiary eye hospital: a 5-year case review.
Local anesthesia strabismus surgery had far lower oculocardiac reflex rates than general anesthesia.
Strabismus surgery under local anaesthesia at a tertiary eye hospital: a 5-year case review.
Strabismus surgery is traditionally performed under general anesthesia (general anesthesia), however this is not safe or suitable for many patients.
We identified 440 operations performed under local anesthesia at a tertiary eye center over a 5-year period from 2020 to 2024 and performed a retrospective review of surgical notes for all cases.
hearts skipped a beat far less often under local anesthesia than general
The most common indications for local anesthesia were weekend scheduling constraints, patient preference, and co-morbidities.
Only one case required conversion to general anesthesia due to pre-operative anxiety, with a very low incidence of other complications.
Strabismus surgery under local anesthesia with sedation is a safe and well-tolerated option, including in patients at higher anaesthetic risk for general anesthesia.
More widespread use may help to expand the eligible patient population, allowing access to corrective surgery for those who would otherwise only be eligible for botulinum toxin in an outpatient setting.
We also demonstrate the potential to reduce intra- and post-operative complications and optimize theater efficiency and utilization of resources in a day case setting.