Intraocular surgery with general anesthesia
G. Wolf, S. Lynch and I. Berlin
A specialized technique developed specifically for ophthalmic surgery has
led surgeons at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital to perform most
private cataract extractions-more than 1,000 per year-with patients under
general anesthsia. Because this practice is followed by so few ophthalmic
surgeons elsewhere, an evaluation of the relative safety and benefits of
local vs. general anesthesia was undertaken. A retrospective study
comparing 2,217 consecutive patients operated on under general anesthesia
with 561 patients operated on under local analgesia leads us to believe
that general anesthesia providess the surgeon with optimum operating
conditions. General anaessthesia has proved to be a safe procedure, with a
minimum of complications. The ophthalmic surgeon is assured of absolute
patient immobility, with safety equilvalent to that seen with procedures
performed with local analgesia, despite the advanced age and resulting
physiological degeneration of the patient population.