Penetrating ocular injury following local anaesthesia

Inadvertent triple globe penetration during peribulbar anesthesia

Inadvertent globe perforation following peribulbar anesthesia can lead to unpleasant experiences if not identified early and managed appropriately. We present the case of a 75-year-old female who came with decreased vision in the left eye (LE) following cataract surgery under peribulbar block. Her visual acuity in the right eye (RE) was 6/24 and LE was 6/75. Fundus examination of LE showed vitreous hemorrhage with localized subretinal hemorrhage along the inferotemporal arcade suggestive of globe perforation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT, Spectralis. Heidelberg imaging, Germany) scan across the perforation site showed subretinal hemorrhage and full-thickness retinal tear. On follow-up, two more focal points of retinal whitening were noted in the inferotemporal equatorial region. The patient was kept under close monitoring, and 4 weeks later, vision improved to 6/9 and barrage laser was done around the perforation sites. Serial OCT scans and close follow-up in iatrogenic globe perforation can result in good visual outcomes.

Clinical presentation and management of eyes with globe perforation during peribulbar and retrobulbar anesthesia: A retrospective case series

Aim

To evaluate the clinical presentation, management, and outcome of eyes with an inadvertent globe perforation during peribulbar or retrobulbar block.

Methods

This retrospective study evaluated the eyes which had an accidental globe perforation during local ocular anesthesia from 2012 to 2020. The patients were divided into three groups; Group 1: Clear media with no rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD); Group 2: significant vitreous hemorrhage (VH) precluding the retinal view without RRD; and Group 3: RRD with/without VH.

Results

Twenty-five patients (25 eyes) were included in the study. The mean axial length (AL) was 24.7±2.7mm (Range, 20.9-31.2mm). Eleven eyes (45.8%) had an AL≥24mm. The most common presenting features were VH (n=14), hypotony (n=7), and RRD (n=7). The treatment included retinal laser barrage (n=7) and vitrectomy (n=17). Retinal breaks were identified in all the eyes (total breaks=37). Other complications included full-thickness macular hole (n=5), subretinal hemorrhage (n=4), and retinal vascular occlusion (n=4). The mean presenting best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in groups 1,2 and 3 were logMAR 0.79±0.73, 1.82±0.78, and 2.13±0.59 respectively. All the patients, except the one who did not undergo surgery, had an attached retina at the time of the last follow-up. The mean final BCVA for each group was logMAR 0.59±0.79, 0.48±0.26, and 1.25±0.64 respectively (p=0.006). The development of RRD was associated with a larger AL (p=0.015); while the development of significant VH precluding the retinal view was associated with the superior location of the perforation (p=0.015), late recognition of the perforation (p=0.004), and multiple perforations (p=0.015).

Conclusion

Early recognition and intervention in eyes with an inadvertent perforation can lead to a good outcome. Eyes with a longer AL, superior, and multiple perforations are at higher risk of developing complications like RRD and VH. Complications like RRD, macular injury, and vascular occlusion are risk factors for poor prognosis.

Peribulbar anesthesia causing bilateral orbital hemorrhage

We report a case of bilateral orbital hemorrhage as a complication of peribulbar anesthesia in a 78 year old man. Initially, unilateral orbital hemorrhage occurred but quickly spread to the contralateral side. Neuroophthalmological assessment revealed a proptosed tense globe with normal retinovascular findings. Visual acuity was adversely affected and this was conservatively managed with no lasting ophthalmic sequela. This patient’s case was reported as it illustrates an unusual complication of bilateral spread of orbital hemorrhage secondary to peribulbar anesthesia. It highlights how early ophthalmic assessment can ensure a good visual outcome in the setting of appropriate ophthalmic monitoring. The mechanisms of orbital hemorrhage spread and appropriate management options are discussed.

[Retinal detachment caused by ocular perforation during periocular anesthesia: three case reports]

INTRODUCTION

Local anesthesia for eye surgery was first described in 1884; later Knapp popularized retrobulbar anesthesia. To reduce risks, peribulbar anesthesia appeared in the 1970s. Still used today, periocular anesthesia is not without complications, in particular the risk of ocular perforation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three patients were referred to our department for diagnosis and treatment of an intravitreous hemorrhage following cataract surgery. We report the clinical features, treatment, and visual outcome for these three patients.

RESULTS

The most common presentation was vitreous hemorrhage: the three eyes were found to have associated retinal detachment on initial assessment. One patient presented severe vitreoretinal proliferation with two postoperative recurrences; the globe was finally enucleated. The two other patients presented attached retina after surgery but had achieved very poor visual recovery.

CONCLUSION

Inadvertent globe perforation during local ocular anesthesia is rare. Careful attention to risk factors, early recognition, and prompt referral for management are recommended to improve the visual prognosis. Surgical management must be adapted to the severity of the perforation (vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, vitreoretinal proliferation). The problems treating these patients with severe, often recurrent, retinal detachment, with poor visual prognosis, in a tricky forensic context should be emphasized.

Consequence of perforation during peribulbar anesthesia in an only eye

A patient with a blind fellow eye had cataract surgery in the right eye; anesthesia comprised an intraocular injection of lidocaine and bupivacaine. Forty-eight hours after surgery, visual acuity in the right eye was light perception (LP). Three days later, fundus examination showed inferotemporal hemorrhage, retinal whitening consistent with needle tracking, and a diffusely pale optic disc in the operated eye. Computed tomography showed an intact optic nerve in both eyes and high-density vitreal lesions in the right eye. Laser photocoagulation was applied to the retinal break. We believe that a jet stream of anesthetic agent may have transiently increased intraocular volume enough to occlude the central retinal artery. Although the retina remained attached, visual acuity failed to improve beyond LP.

Ocular explosion after peribulbar anesthesia

We report 3 cases of globe rupture after peribulbar anesthesia. We discuss the predisposing factors, presenting features, and visual outcome after this complication. Globe explosion is a severe complication of inadvertent intraocular injection during peribulbar anesthesia. Visual outcome after vitrectomy is generally poor; however, cases that do not develop a retinal detachment may achieve good results.

Altered globe dimensions of axial myopia as risk factors for penetrating ocular injury during peribulbar anaesthesia

We measured the range of equatorial horizontal widths (EHW) in axially myopic eyes and identified the sites of staphyloma using B scan echography. One hundred eyes in 50 patients were studied. The axial lengths (ALs) were sorted into five groups of increasing severity of myopia. The group mean AL, group mean EHW and the ratio of EHW/AL was calculated for each range. The results suggest that the increase in the AL in an axially myopic eye is associated with an increase in the EHW. However, this increase in the group mean EHW is relatively small (2.3 mm) compared with the increase mean AL (8.2 mm) across the entire range. The ratio of EHW/AL decreased with an increase in the group mean AL. Therefore, the increase in EHW in an axially myopic eye is unlikely to be a significant risk factor for inadvertent ocular injury for peribulbar injections if a careful single medial canthal approach is used. There was high incidence of staphylomas in eyes with AL > 29 mm, most were inferior to the posterior pole of the globe, and there were none at the equator.

Scleral perforation during retrobulbar and peribulbar anesthesia: risk factors and outcome in 50,000 consecutive injections

PURPOSE

To measure the frequency of scleral perforation and identify related risk factors during local anesthetic injection for intraocular surgery.

SETTING

Multispecialty eye hospital.

METHODS

All patients (n = 50,000) having retrobulbar (26,857) or peribulbar (23,143) injections at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital were reviewed. Cases of scleral perforation were analyzed for potential technical and ophthalmic risk factors, management of injuries, and visual and anatomic outcomes. Mean follow-up was 14.4 months (range 8 to 24 months).

RESULTS

Seven (0.014%) needlestick injuries were identified, all of which had posterior staphyloma as the only identifiable risk factor. Applying a previously measured prevalence of 10.7% for posterior staphyloma in our surgery patients gave a scleral perforation rate of 0.13% (7 of 5350) for staphylomatous eyes. All perforated globes had originally planned cataract extraction within 8 weeks of injury. Additional management consisted of observation (2 cases), cryotherapy (2 cases), and vitreoretinal procedures for retinal detachment (3 cases) and subretinal hemorrhage (1 case). At last follow-up, all retinas were attached and 3 cases (42.8%) had a visual acuity of worse than 20/160. Both cases requiring multiple retinal detachment surgeries developed proliferative vitreoretinopathy and poor visual acuity.

CONCLUSIONS

Eyes with posterior staphyloma sustained needlestick injuries at a rate of 1 in 760 compared with 0 injection perforations in more than 44,000 nonstaphylomatous eyes.

Ocular perforation during peribulbar anaesthesia

Six cases of ocular perforation after peribulbar anaesthesia are reported. They were referred to our vitreoretinal unit from other hospitals over a 6 week period. Some recent reports of ocular perforation with peribulbar anaesthesia suggest a good prognosis. In this series all six required surgical intervention and most cases associated with a retinal detachment had a poor outcome. This study highlights the dangers of ocular perforation and emphasises the need for supervised training of peribulbar anaesthesia and early referral should ocular perforation occur.