Anesthesia & Clinical Research
Open Access

Abstract

Alternative Methods of Anesthesia for the Repair of Open-Globe Injuries: Ophthalmologists’ Perspective

Mehmet Ali Sekeroglu, Mehmethan Dogan, Mustafa Alpaslan Anayol and Pelin Yilmazbas

Open-globe injury which is defined as a a full thickness defect in the cornea and/or sclera is a common cause of visual loss. It is an ocular emergency and surgical repair should be performed as early as possible in order to restore the structural and functional integrity of the eye. Anesthesia plays a vital role for the success of the surgery for open-globe injuries. Numerous issues must be considered for the selection of anesthesia technique. General anesthesia is the gold standard method of anesthesia and regional anesthesia has conventionally been considered to be contraindicated in patients with open-globe injuries. However, local anaesthetic techniques such as sub-tenon, topical, intracamaral, peribulbar and retrobulbar anesthesia are started to become popular for the surgery of openglobe injuries for selected patients. The aim of the present review is to describe and discuss the ophthalmologists’ perspective related to the alternative methods of anesthesia for the repair of open-globe injuries.