Peribulbar Anesthesia: One Versus Two Injections

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The authors describe their prospective, randomized study of a single peribulbar injection into the junction of the lateral third and medial two thirds of the lower lid compared with the standard two-injection peribulbar technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty patients undergoing elective intraocular surgery were randomly allocated to receive either one or two injections of a mixture of balanced salt solution, 2% lidocaine, 0.5% bupivacaine, and hyaluronidase. Preoperative akinesia was assessed following the injections. At the end of surgery, the patients were asked if they had experienced any pain or discomfort during surgery. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in pain or globe akinesia between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The single peribulbar injection was found to be as effective as the standard two-injection peribulbar technique.