A 50-year-old Chinese man presented with sudden onset of painful right eye, diplopia, and redness associated with headache and deteriorating vision. Examination revealed obvious proptosis with elevated intraocular pressure. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed presence of retrobulbar haemmorhage. Emergency lateral canthotomy and cantholysis was performed followed by medical orbital decompression, resulting in improvements in visual acuity, and other ocular symptoms. The diagnosis of thrombosed orbital varices involving inferior ophthalmic vein was confirmed on radiological- angiographic study. To date, he is symptoms-free with good visual acuity. Immediate surgical decompression with lateral cantholysis for retrobulbar haemorrhage was effective in the treatment of retrobulbar haemorrhage.
PURPOSE: To determine if adequate anesthesia and akinesia could be obtained using an inferonasal quadrant sub-Tenons anaesthesia for cataract surgery.
METHODS: The sub-Tenons method of local anaesthesia was used in 50 patients undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction and lens implantation. The technique following was that described by JD Stevens in his study of 50 patients. Posterior sub-Tenons space was approached through a conjunctival incision in the inferonasal quadrant and the anaesthetic solution delivered by an irrigating cannula. The patients were assessed for residual ocular movements just before surgery. Effectiveness of anaesthesia was assessed during surgery using a verbal pain rating score. Scoring was based on the concept of a visual analogue pain score chart.
RESULTS: Total akinesia was obtained in 20% patients and total anaesthesia in 24% patients. The remainder of the patients had adequate akinesia and anaesthesia to proceed with and complete the surgery.
CONCLUSION: This method provides satisfactory anaesthesia for cataract surgery.