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Anxiety and pain biochemical analysis comparing first and second eye during phacoemulsification under topical anesthesia in cataract surgery

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First Author: C.Porcar Plana SPAIN

Co Author(s):    E. Campos Mollo   J. Ortega Huete   J. Moya Roca   M. Puzo Bayod           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To set the protocol of a study to find a biochemical explanation to why second eye is more painful than first eye during phacoemulsification under topical anesthesia in cataract surgery.

Setting:

Virgen de los Lirios Hospital, Alcoy, Alicante, Spain

Methods:

'- Select 100 patients with similar grade bilateral cataract. - Compare the main anxiety and pain biochemical markers (cortisol, DHEA, DHEA/Cortisol, IL6 and prolactin) before and after cataract surgery, of first and second eye. - Analyse secondary factors which may interfere with the results: gender, age, anterior chamber depth, preoperative intraocular pressure, patient cooperation, arterial pressure and heart rate, the duration of the intervention, the phacoemulsification duration and power, and topic and intracamerular anesthesia quantity. - Multivariant analysis of the results.

Results:

Recent studies have clearly shown that patients perceived more pain in the second eye surgery than in the first (P< 0.00001), which is likely to be associated with various anxiety (P< 0.001)values between the first and second eye surgeries. Still, there is need for further studies to figure out why second eye phacoemulsication is more painful, so that we can take the preoperative measures to reduce the perceived pain during second eye cataract surgery. In this paper we present the protocol to our study which aims to give an objective response to this fact by analysing the main pain and anxiety biochemical parameters. Preliminary results to our study will also be showed.

Conclusions:

Phacoemulsifaction under topical anesthesia has become the main approach to cataract surgery. Several ophthalmologists have reported that second eye surgery is more painful than second eye surgery. This matter has been studied by analyzing subjective pain and anxiety scales. In this paper we present the protocol to our study which aims to give an objective response to this fact by analysing the main pain and anxiety biochemical parameters. The biochemical path can help us to find the best approach for making our patients feel more comfortable during surgery process.

Financial Disclosure:

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