Comparison of Pain Level After Cataract Surgery Using Local Anesthesia versus General Anesthesia at Eye Hospital

Background: Patients undergoing surgery may experience postoperative pain. The purpose of this study was to compare postoperative pain after cataract surgery with local anesthesia and general anesthesia performed at the Eye Hospital.Materials and Methods: The study was a descriptive-analytic with a cross-sectional design, conducted at the Eye Hospital. There were 100 consecutive patients undergoing phacoemulsification procedures enrolled from September to November 2020. We assessed primary data using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) 24 hours after cataract surgery.Results: The results were obtained based on the level of pain felt by the patient within 24 hours postoperatively. Of patients with general anesthesia, 34 people reported the most complaints, no pain in 30 people (88.2%), mild to moderate pain in four people (11.8%), and no complaints of severe pain. In 66 patients with local anesthesia, 35 people (53.0%) had no complaints of pain, 31 people (47.0%) had mild to moderate pain, and none complained of severe pain. By Chi-Square analysis, we found a significant difference between the type of anesthesia and postoperative pain (p<0.001). Conclusion: The study found more patients without pain with general anesthesia than with local anesthesia in post-cataract surgery.