Conscious Sedation/Monitored Anesthesia Care Versus General Anesthesia for Vitreoretinal Surgery
Alireza Attar1 *
- Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract: Anesthesia choice in ophthalmic surgery is crucial for patient comfort and surgical success. This study compares monitored anesthesia care (MAC) with general anesthesia (GA) for vitreoretinal surgery, aiming to assess safety, efficacy, and patient outcomes.
Methods: This was a prospective clinical trial that included forty patients undergoing vitreoretinal surgery. Patients were divided into MAC and GA groups. Anesthesia quality, surgical outcomes, anesthesia time, surgery time and recovery time were compared between two groups using standardized criteria and statistical analysis.
Results: MAC provided comparable analgesia, immobilization, and hemodynamic stability to GA, with no reported complications. All patients in both groups had successful surgery. Anesthesiologist favored MAC for its hemodynamic control, while surgeons showed no preference. MAC exhibited shorter anesthesia time than GA with lower anesthetics. These findings support the use of MAC in vitreoretinal surgery, especially for patients at risk of complications from GA.
Conclusion: Moderate sedation with MAC offers a safe and effective alternative to GA for vitreoretinal surgery, with similar outcomes, reduced anesthesia time, and lower drug doses. Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to validate these results and refine anesthesia protocols.
