Topical vs Peribulbar Anesthesia: Comparison of Anterior Chamber Depth and the Resultant Visual Outcome After...

To compare anterior chamber depth and postoperative visual outcome in patients undergoing phacoemulsification under topical vs peribulbar anesthesia.

Prospective, randomized, comparative observational study.Sample size: 110 eyes with 55 eyes each. Group I: Patients undergoing phacoemulsification under topical anesthesia.Group II: Patients undergoing phacoemulsification under peribulbar anesthesia.Once patients were selected, baseline a standard ophthalmic examination was done including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction, IOP by NCT, anterior segment evaluation with slit lamp biomicroscopy, keratometry, axial length, and ACD measurement by IOL master. Post-operatively, the patients were reviewed at day 1, week 1, week 6 for the same parameters.Statistics:Quantitative variables: Paired and unpaired t-test.Qualitative variables: Chi square test.A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Inter-group comparisons of post-operative change in ACD at 1-week post-op (P-value<0.001) and 6-week post-op (P-value<0.001) were statistically significant when compared to the pre-op values. The mean spherical equivalent in group I was 0.27±0.26 d and that in group II was 1±0.32 d at 1-week post-op. The mean spherical equivalent in group I was 0.23±0.20 d, while that in group II was 0.85±0.64 d at 6-week post-op. This difference was statistically significant both at 1-week post-op (P-value=0.002) and 6-week post-op (P-value<0.001).

Post-phacoemulsification, the ACD is more after peribulbar anesthesia as compared to topical anesthesia. Post-op refractive outcome is better with the use of topical anesthesia.