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Perceived Surgeon Stress During No-Sedation Topical Phacoemulsification.

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First Author: K.El Jawhari POLAND

Co Author(s):    A. Mansour   M. Stewart   A. Charbaji   L. El Zein   M. Mansour   J. Saade     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To determine the patient-related factors that contribute to surgeon stress during phacoemulsification cataract extraction (PCE) performed under unassisted topical anesthesia.

Setting:

University Hospital

Methods:

This is a prospective study of perceived surgeon stress during phacoemulsification by a single surgeon of consecutive patients undergoing PCE. At the conclusion of each procedure, the surgeon recorded the perceived stress according to the following three indices: surgeon score, qualitative score (yes or no), and total score (sum of itemized causes of stress). Patient variables included in the analysis included gender, age, diabetes mellitus, morbid obesity, intake of oral alpha blockers, floppy iris, laterality, pseudo-exfoliation, intraocular lens power, and initial visual acuity.

Results:

During the 10-year study, 1097 eyes underwent surgery. The following patient variables were seen frequently: floppy iris syndrome (92), pseudo-exfoliation (72), and morbid obesity (36). Surgeon identified stress was reported after 250 procedures. On multivariable analysis, the following patient characteristics were associated with surgeon stress: age > 80 years; morbid obesity; floppy iris syndrome; severe nuclear sclerosis; and poor baseline distance corrected visual acuity.

Conclusions:

Advanced age, morbid obesity, floppy iris syndrome and severe nuclear sclerosis contribute to surgeon stress during PCE.

Financial Disclosure:

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