THE vast majority of ophthalmic surgeries are performed under regional anesthesia only. However, its use is also described in association with general anesthesia for pediatric cases and for postoperative analgesia. Eye blocks have long been limited to retrobulbar anesthesia (RBA) as performed by surgeons. Surgical technique changes and research on improving patient safety during eye blocks has ...

The first clinical uses of a local anesthetic agent occurred in 1884, when cocaine was employed as a topical agent for eye surgery and to produce a nerve block. These events inaugurated a new era, that of regional anesthesia. New applications were developed, including spinal, epidural, and caudal anesthesia. The search for a better local anesthetic led to chemical synthesis of a number of other...