Ophthalmic pain following cataract surgery: a comparison between local and general anaesthesia

Ophthalmic pain following uncomplicated extracapsular cataract surgery was assessed postoperatively in 61 patients; 55% undergoing ophthalmic surgery had no pain or discomfort postoperatively, and 32% reported slight discomfort. Approximately 8% of patients reported mild pain and the remaining 5% experienced moderate to severe pain. Local anaesthesia was shown to be more comfortable postoperatively than general anaesthesia in the immediate postoperative period with both groups receiving similar amounts of postoperative analgesics.