Clinical Trial Summary
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
