This can be greatly facilitated by the use of local nerve blocks and topical anaesthesia.

Topical anaesthesia is known to cause endothelial and epithelial toxicity, allergy and surface keratopathy.

Meyer-Bothling U, Cunningham C: Converting to topical anaesthesia in cataract surgery.

He specialises in complex cataract surgery and in the 1990s was already publishing the advantages of performing small incision cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia.

Specifically it is applied to prevent pain associated with intravenous catheter insertion, blood sampling, superficial surgical procedures; and topical anaesthesia of leg ulcers for cleansing or debridement.

The hypopharynx is well adapted to the presence of a foreign body, and insertion of the laryngeal mask can easily be achieved in awake patients under topical anaesthesia and sedation.

Meyer-Bothling U, Jørgensen JS, Mann M: Topical anaesthesia: Alternative to retro- or parabulbar anaesthesia in cataract surgery.

Ocular response analyzer The ocular response analyser (ORA) is a non-contact (air puff) tonometer that does not require topical anaesthesia and provides additional information on the biomechanical properties of the cornea.