[Propofol and retrobulbar anesthesia for cataract extraction]

We divided 80 patients undergoing cataract surgery into two groups of 40: one control group and one propofol group to whom 1-1.5 mg/kg of propofol was administered before retrobulbar anesthesia. The following parameters were recorded before and after retrobulbar anesthesia: systolic and diastolic arterial pressure (SAP and DAP), heart rate (HR) and finally arterial oxygen saturation through pulse oximetry. Pain was also measured on the Scott-Huskisson visual analog scale. For patients in the control group a rise in arterial pressure over baseline values after 5 minutes (p < 0.01) was observed, while a decrease was found in the propofol group (p < 0.01). The rise after 5 minutes in the control group was significant when compared with the measurements for the propofol group (p < 0.01). The pain measure for the control group reached 5.53 +/- 1.54 on the Scott-Huskisson scale, but was 0 in the propofol group. Measurements on the pain scale correlated positively with diastolic arterial pressure 5 minutes after blockade in the control group (p < 0.05). The technique studied affords greater comfort for the patient, presents no special difficulties for the anesthesiologist performing the retrobulbar blockade, and causes no complications.