A clinical trial of distraction techniques for pain and anxiety control during cataract surgery

This research study evaluates the effectiveness of distraction interventions on subject perceptions of discomfort or pain and anxiety during the ocular anesthetic injection prior to cataract surgery. Eighty subjects received either usual care, usual care with massage, usual care with verbal coaching and slow breathing, or usual care with massage and verbal coaching and slow breathing combined as different types of distraction interventions. After the ocular anesthetic injection(s), the subjects rated their level of experienced discomfort or pain and anxiety on a Likert scale of 0 to 10. The statistical analyses revealed a significant reduction of discomfort or pain and anxiety when the distraction interventions were implemented during the ocular anesthetic injections. Because the different distraction interventions are effective, inexpensive, and easy to implement, routine use during ocular anesthetic injections, prior to cataract surgery, is recommended.