Transcutaneous anaesthetic nano-enabled hydrogels for eyelid surgery

Local anaesthetics are administered as a diffuse superficial slow injection in blepharoplasty. Current transcutaneous local anaesthetic formulations are not licensed for use on the face due to safety concerns. Here we report for the first time the permeation of local anaesthetics (lidocaine, bupivacaine loaded SNEDDS and their hydrogels) across human eyelid and mouse skin as a novel and ocular safe formulation for eyelid surgery. SNEDDS were loaded with high levels of anaesthetics and incorporated within carbomer hydrogels to yield nano-enabled gels. Lidocaine hydrogels have a significantly reduced lag time compared to EMLA, while they enhance lidocaine flux across human eyelid skin by 5.2 fold. Ex vivo tape stripping experiments indicated localisation of anaesthetics within the stratum corneum and dermis. Initial histopathological studies have shown no apparent signs of skin irritation. These results highlight the potential clinical capability of nano-enabled anaesthetic hydrogels as a non-invasive anaesthetic procedure for eyelid surgery.

Transconjunctival Müller's muscle Tucking Method for Non-incisional Correction of Mild Ptosis: The Effectiveness and Maintenance

BACKGROUND

In patients with a mild degree ptosis who undergo non-incisional double-eyelid blepharoplasty, simultaneous correction of ptosis is needed to prevent loosening. The transconjunctival Müller's muscle tucking (TMMT) method may be useful in these cases.

OBJECTIVES

The authors performed this study to present the details of the current use of the TMMT method and to provide objective evidence for ptosis correction and its sustained effect.

METHODS

A total of 322 eyelids in 161 patients who underwent mild ptosis correction with the TMMT method from July 2012 to December 2017 were retrospectively examined. The continuous suture method using a single stitch was used for double-fold formation, and the TMMT method was used for ptosis correction for the other incision. The margin to reflex distance (MRD) 1 was evaluated at pre-operation, immediate post-operation, and at 2, 6 months post-operation.

RESULTS

A total of 34 patients who had more than 6 months of follow-up were included. Right-side MRD1 values were 2.08 (± 0.19) mm before the surgery, 3.49 (± 0.16) mm immediately after the surgery, 3.33 (± 0.14) mm at postoperative 2 months, and 3.22 (± 0.17) mm at postoperative 6 months (p < 0.001). The difference of MRD1 between immediate post-operation and at 6 months was 0.25 mm without statistical significance (p > 0.05). Complications (fold loosening, asymmetry, and ptosis recurrence) occurred in three cases (8.8%), all of which were re-corrected by applying the TMMT method.

CONCLUSIONS

The TMMT method was useful for correction of mild ptosis, showed little recurrence, and prevented loss of fold by giving a vertical force to the double-fold.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

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Local anesthesia and anxiolytic techniques for oculoplastic surgery

This study discusses local anesthetic agents, administration techniques, ancillary considerations, and safety precautions for oculoplastic surgery including eyelid, lacrimal, orbital, and temporal artery biopsy procedures. Methods for reducing patient apprehension and discomfort including systemic premedication, topical pre-anesthetic, visual, auditory and tactile distraction techniques, regional blocks, small gauge needles, warmed lidocaine, and buffered lidocaine are discussed.

Retinal toxicity after accidental intravitreal injection of mepivacaine and adrenaline

CASE REPORT

The case is presented of a 32 year-old male with no medical history of interest who suffered a traffic accident with mild traumatic brain injury. He had a left supraciliary incised and contused wound that extended to the left upper eyelid, with no loss of vision. After palpebral anaesthetic injection, there was a sudden visual acuity decrease in the left eye and hyposphagma located between I-III at 4mm from the limbus, with increased intraocular pressure. A whitish lesion with a central haemorrhagic focus was observed in the ocular fundus, corresponding to the area where the hyposphagma was located.

DISCUSSION

Anaesthetic injection during palpebral repair may be complicated by inadvertent penetration of the eyeball. Intravitreal mepivacaine and adrenaline could cause macular and retinal lesions.

Immediate reaction to lidocaine with periorbital edema during upper blepharoplasty

INTRODUCTION

Blepharoplasty is the fourth most commonly performed cosmetic surgery in the US, with 207,000 operations in 2014. Lidocaine is the preferred anesthetic agent for blepharoplasty.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

We describe the unusual case of acute periorbital edema following local anesthesia with lidocaine for upper blepharoplasty. At present, only two other reports of periorbital reactions to lidocaine are present in the literature. The reactions observed are significant palpebral swelling and erythema with scaling of the cheek. Fortunately the swelling, although marked, is transient in nature and resolves almost spontaneously without affecting the visual acuity.

DISCUSSION

Patients reporting adverse reactions should be screened for allergy according to the standard protocols, but skin testing has only been reported to be positive in less than 10% of all cases and allergy confirmation with IgE is even more rare.

CONCLUSION

In clinical practice, we recommend that patient should be informed about the possibility of recurrence of an adverse reaction in case of re-exposure to lidocaine, even in the vast majority of cases where true allergy could not be proven. In case of further need for local anesthesia with history of an adverse event, a different agent may be chosen even from the same class (another amide) as cross-reactions in the amide group are rare. Otherwise, an anesthetic from the ester group can also be safely used.

Local anesthesia for surgical procedures of the upper eyelid using filling cannula: our technique

Summary:

Sometimes, after local anesthetic injection for surgical procedures of the upper eyelid, it is possible to observe superficial preseptal hematomas or excessive lid swelling that may distort the tissues and obscure surgical landmarks. We present a technique to perform local anesthesia of the upper eyelids, using a 27-gauge needle and a 26-gauge filling cannula, that may decrease the incidence of hematomas and bruising.