Does preservative-free lignocaine 1% for hydrodissection reduce pain during phacoemulsification?

Purpose: To compare preservative-free 1% lignocaine with balanced salt solu tion (BSS(R)) in alleviating pain during hydrodissection in phacoemulsifica tion cataract surgery. Setting: West Norwich Hospital, Norfolk, United Kingdom. Methods: This prospective double-masked trial comprised 68 patients having a day-case phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Patients were randomly div ided into 2 groups, receiving either BSS or lignocaine 1% solution for hydr odissection during routine uneventful phacoemulsification using topical ane sthesia. The level of intraoperative pain was scored on a scale of 0 (no pa in) to 10 (severe pain), and the scores between the 2 groups were compared. Results: Of the 68 patients, 33 (49%) received BSS and 35 (51%), lignocaine 1% solution. A pain score greater than 2 was considered clinically signifi cant; 28 patients (85%) in the BSS group and 25 (71%) in the lignocaine 1% group scored 2 or less. The chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests found no sign ificant difference between the BSS and lignocaine 1% groups (P = .30 and P = .432, respectively). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the pain scores in patie nts who received BSS or lignocaine 1% solution. Thus, we conclude that hydr odissecting with lignocaine 1% solution does not provide added pain relief during phacoemulsification. J Cataract Refract Surg 2000; 26:733-735 (C) 20 00 ASCRS and ESCRS.