Retrobulbar anesthesia in strabismus surgery.

Forty-nine patients, ranging in age from 12 to 77 years, underwent strabismus surgery under local anesthesia. With standard preoperative medication and a retrobulbar injection of 2% mepivacaine hydrochloride (hyaluronidase added in 12 patients), effective anesthesia was obtained. Twenty-four patients were observed during the immediate postoperative period, and return of extraocular muscle function and visual acuity was found to be complete an average of 3.8 hours after the injection. The addition of hyaluronidase significantly altered the duration of the anesthetic. Local anesthesia may be a preferable technique in terms of decreased morbidity, especially in the older patient. The short duration of anesthesia and lack of side effects also enable the surgeon to use adjustable sutures and make the final adjustment relatively early in the postoperative period.