[TransPRK in general anesthesia-An alternative for anxious patients]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Anesthesia in Ophthalmic Procedures

Context:

• Transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TransPRK) is a laser vision correction procedure.
• Patient anxiety can be a barrier to undergoing ophthalmic procedures.
• General anesthesia (ITN) versus local anesthesia (TRO) are anesthetic options for TransPRK.

Purpose:

• To compare the refractive outcomes of TransPRK performed under general anesthesia (ITN) versus local anesthesia (TRO).
• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TransPRK for anxious patients requiring laser vision correction.

Summary:

• A retrospective study compared 35 TransPRK procedures under ITN with 699 TransPRK procedures under TRO.
• Refractive results after 3 months showed high predictability and astigmatic correction in both groups.
• 100% of ITN eyes and 97% of TRO eyes achieved <0.50 D of target correction; visual acuity was comparable (83% vs. 84% achieved 1.0 or more).

Impact:

• TransPRK under general anesthesia provides equivalent refractive results to TransPRK under local anesthesia.
• Offers a safe and effective laser vision correction alternative for patients with significant anxiety.
• The shorter procedure time under general anesthesia may offer advantages for specific patient populations.