Local anesthesia more cost-effective than general anesthesia for vitreoretinal surgery

Compared to general anesthesia (GA) for vitreoretinal surgeries, local anesthesia (LA) is more cost-effective and leads to an earlier discharge, according to a poster presented at ASRS 2022.

In this retrospective review, data from 1790 patients who underwent vitreoretinal surgery were analyzed. GA was used in 1107 patients and LA in 683. Vitreoretinal surgery was classified into 3 groups based on surgical: scleral buckle, simple vitrectomy, and complex vitrectomy.

The mean age of patients who received GA was 49.8 years compared with 62.8 years for those who received LA (P < 0.001). In the LA group, 481 patients had >1 comorbidity compared to 390 patients in the LA group. The anesthesia mean (SD) duration was 148.37 (52.76) for GA and 95.56 (95.56) for LA (P < 0.001).

Patients who received LA had a significantly shorter stay in the postoperative anesthesia care unit than those who received GA.

The following predicted the use of GA:
-Young age
-Scleral buckle
-Pars plana vitrectomy for complex retinal detachment

Reference
Chauhan M, et al. Analysis of the Cost-Effectiveness of Local Anesthesia Compared With General Anesthesia for Vitreoretinal Surgery. Presented at: ASRS 2022.