Contractor institutions review all relevant scientific literature on assigned clinical care topics and produce evidence reports and technology assessments, conduct research on methodologies and the effectiveness of their implementation, and participate in technical assistance activities. Approximately 1.5 million surgeries were performed on this population in 1996.
Cataract surgery is performed almost exclusively as an outpatient procedure.
It usually involves the administration of a local anesthetic in addition to systemic sedation administered by an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist. Previous research has indicated substantial national and international variation in anesthesia management strategies for cataract surgery. Sedating agents given orally or intravenously are commonly used to reduce patient anxiety and discomfort. Surgeons' and anesthesiologists' preferences, as well as patient characteristics, are believed to influence the choice of anesthesia management for cataract surgery. The principal objective of this evidence report is to summarize the published literature on the risks and benefits associated with the use of one form of regional anesthesia over another and the risks and benefits associated with different approaches to sedating the patient for cataract surgery.