Augmentation of local anesthesia during retinal detachment surgery
C. E. Mein and H. W. Flynn Jr
Department of Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam, Houston, Tex 78234-6200.
Because the effect of local anesthesia from a retrobulbar injection
diminishes with time, local anesthesia during prolonged retinal surgery may
be difficult. A simple, safe, and effective technique for administration of
supplemental intraoperative local anesthesia during retinal detachment
surgery is described. After a limbal peritomy is performed and the
quadrants are dissected bluntly, a 19-guage irrigating cannula is passed
posterior to the globe to irrigate the recti muscles and the retrobulbar
space with 4% lidocaine hydrochloride. Using this technique, even prolonged
vitreoretinal surgery can be performed using local anesthesia with minimal
patient discomfort.
