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P314 Ophthalmic blocks in anaesthesia: a survey examining practice, confidence, and barriers

rapm · 2025-09-10 · canonical JSON source

2 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

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Application for ESRA Abstract Prizes:Background and Aims Over 3000 cataract surgeries are performed each year in our hospital. We noticed that many anaesthetic trainees in our department were uncomfortable performing ophthalmic blocks. Our aim was to evaluate current practices, comfort level and challenges related to regional anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgery in our department.Methods We developed an anonymous online survey consisting of 15 questions to assess individual practice, comfort levels and perceived barriers to performing ophthalmic blocks. The survey was distributed to 93 members of the Department of Anaesthesia, with a response rate of 39 (41%). The respondents included 16 consultants and 23 non consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs). Trainees were categorised by call tier, with those on 3rd on-call tier (senior tier) designated as ‘senior registrar.’Results We found that most trainees regularly covering ophthalmology lists had not performed any blocks in the past 2 years. Only 20% of senior registrars felt they had received enough exposure to ophthalmology blocks during their training. Of the entire group surveyed, only 33% felt comfortable performing sub-tenon blocks. We also asked respondents to identify specific barriers to performing more ophthalmic blocks. Half reported that a key obstacle was the preferential allocation of learning opportunities to ophthalmology trainees. Other barriers included inexperience, fear of chemosis and fear of causing complication.Conclusions The findings highlight a significant gap in training among anaesthetic trainees. Targeted educational initiatives, including structured teaching and closer collaboration with ophthalmology, could help overcome key barriers and enhance both confidence and clinical practice in this area.