Key Takeaways
- A study evaluated the relationship between peribulbar block (PB) solution volume, change in IOP, and anesthesia effect to guide its use in ophthalmic surgical procedures.
- The study authors found no statistically significant difference between the 4 mL and 7 mL PB groups in terms of IOP change.
- The 7-mL PB group achieved a significantly higher surgeon satisfaction score.
A study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology evaluated the relationship between peribulbar block (PB) solution volume, change in IOP, and anesthesia effect to guide its use in ophthalmic surgical procedures.
The study was a prospective, controlled, 1:1 randomized, interventional study carried out at two ambulatory surgical centers. It included male and female patients between age 18 and 79 years of age undergoing planned intraocular surgery with PB as the designated anesthesia modality. Prior to the scheduled ophthalmic surgery, the enrolled eye was randomized to either 4 mL or 7 mL block volume immediately before PB administration by one of the five anesthesiologists. A regimented 2-minute manual massage was performed by the same research assistant after every block. IOPs were measured before the block, immediately after the block, and after the manual massage, twice at each time point. Immediately after the completion of surgery, the surgeon was asked to fill out an anesthesia satisfaction sheet while staying masked to the block volume.
The study authors found no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of IOP change after the block or after the ocular massage; each group’s IOP decreased significantly after the massage. Moreover, the 7-mL group achieved a significantly higher surgeon satisfaction score.
