Anaesthesia for eye surgery in paediatrics

Children and infants present for ophthalmic surgery from birth onwards. This article looks at the general anaesthetic considerations for these patients with respect to eye surgery, with particular reference to control of intraocular pressure, oculo-cardiac reflex, ocular trauma, postoperative nausea and vomiting, malignant hyperpyrexia, syndromes and analgesia. Specific problems such as the measurement of intraocular pressure, and techniques for both intra- and extraocular surgery are then discussed.