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Small-gauge vitrectomy possible using topical anesthetic, study suggests

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Topical anesthesia can be an effective alternative to local anesthesia during 25-gauge vitrectomy, a pilot study suggests.

Raju Biju and colleagues at the Ranjini Eye Center in India applied anesthetic-soaked pledgets for 3 minutes prior to performing vitrectomy in seven patients. Postoperatively, patients were asked to rate their intraoperative discomfort level using a five-point scale, with 0 being no pain or discomfort and 4 being the most severe. All patients reported grade 0 pain during vitrectomy, although five patients reported grade 2 pain during the initial sclerectomy, according to the study.

The study is published in the July-September issue of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.