Postoperative pain in ophthalmology.

A survey of 100 consecutive patients suggests that, overall, ophthalmic surgery is not as painful postoperatively as general surgery. Cataracts are largely painless. Retinal detachments may sometimes give rise to postoperative pain like that in general surgery, but the numbers available are not yet sufficient for statistical analysis. Routine postoperative analgesia for encirclement procedures in retinal detachment patients should be considered for at least the first 18 hours after operation.