Comparison of the efficacy of two pre-treatment medication of dexmedetomedine-fentanyl and midazolam-fentanyl in cataract surgery

Cataract is one of the most common eye diseases especially in elderly patients and most of these patients require surgery. In the process of sedation, different drugs are used, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Dexmedetomidine is one of the drugs that has recently received special attention for sedation. In this study, we compared the drug combination of dexmedetomidine-fentanyl with midazolam-fentanyl in cataract surgery.

In a case-control study, the patients who underwent cataract surgery by a surgeon with topical anesthesia and sedation techniques were included in the target group. Seventy patients were divided into two groups of 35 according to a random number table. One group received dexmedetomidine-fentanyl (dexmedetomidine group) and the other received midazolam-fentanyl (midazolam group). Age, sex, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, patient sedation, surgeon satisfaction, recovery nurse satisfaction, and postoperative nausea and vomiting were compared between the two groups. The study was performed in the Farabi Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from October to November 2019.

Patients in the two groups were similar in age, sex, weight, and preoperative hemodynamic variables. There was no significant difference in preoperative systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the two groups (P=0.150). However, those who received dexmedetomidine had significantly lower intraoperative heart rate (P<0.001). The difference in postoperative systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as postoperative heart rate was significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in postoperative sedation (P=0.93). The surgeon’s satisfaction was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.17). Also, the rate of recovery nurse satisfaction was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.21). The incidence of nausea and vomiting was similar in both groups (P=1.00).

Sedation with dexmedetomidine decreases blood pressure and heart rate. Therefore, it is recommended to use dexmedetomidine more cautiously in patients with unstable hemodynamics and especially in short surgical procedures.