Local anaesthesia for eye surgery without a facial nerve block

Abstract

Traditionally, local anaesthesia for cataract surgery requires retrobulbar blockade to be supplemented with a facial nerve block in order to prevent blepharospasm. In this study retrobulbar block using a larger volume of local anaesthetic without facial nerve block is compared with the combined technique in 50 patients. The adequacy of the two techniques was assessed by the surgeon according to eye motility (in four different planes), lid motility and eye softness and an overall surgical assessment was made at the end of the procedure. Blepharospasm did not occur. The operating conditions were equally good in both groups (p > 0.05). These results suggest that good operating conditions for cataract operations can be provided by retrobulbar block alone without supplementary facial nerve block.