ANESTHESIA FOR EYE SURGERY

Course overview

THE MOST COMMON OPHTHALMIC PROCEDURES IN CURRENT CLINICAL PRACTICE COMPRISE CATARACT, GLAUCOMA, AND VITREORETINAL SURGERIES. AN ANESTHETIC APPROACH IS REQUIRED FOR ALL OF THESE PROCEDURES, AND EACH SPECIFIC PROCEDURE HAS ITS ANESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, A PERIOPERATIVE EYE INJURY CAN SERVE AS A BASIS FOR A MALPRACTICE CLAIM, UNDERSCORING THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING AND CARING FOR THE EYES DURING ANESTHESIA AND MITIGATING THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH REGIONAL ANESTHETIC TECHNIQUES.[3]THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ANESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR OPHTHALMIC PROCEDURES, INCLUDING GENERAL, REGIONAL, AND TOPICAL ANESTHETIC TECHNIQUES. THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, COMPLICATIONS, AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE TECHNIQUES AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING OPHTHALMIC PROCEDURES REQUIRING AN ANESTHETIC APPROACH ARE DISCUSSED.