Value of hyaluronidase in ocular surgical akinesia

In a study of 27 cases of surgery for cataract extraction, mepivacaine 2% with hyaluronidase was found to shorten the induction times of facial nerve and retrobulbar blocks when compared to injections of mepivacaine 2% alone. The mean induction time of facial nerve blocks with hyaluronidase was 1.3 +/- 0.4 minutes. This was significantly (P less than .01) shorter than the mean induction time without hyaluronidase, 2.9 +/- 1.8 minutes. The use of hyaluronidase significantly (P less than .02) shortened the induction time of retrobulbar blocks. The median induction time with hyaluronidase was three minutes, whereas that without hyaluronidase was ten minutes. However, the use of hyaluronidase did not significantly (.25 less than P less than .50) alter the success rate of retrobulbar blocks.