Comparative analysis of the impact of selected anesthesia methods on the cognitive function of patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery

Background: Anesthesiologists should not only save patient’s life as a process, but also enable the patient to recover his/her social life after surgery, given increased longevity, high social activity throughout life, and increased use of technical equipment in everyday life. Purpose: To assess central nervous system (CNS) changes in patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty in order to optimize the choice of anesthesia technique, while taking into account the impact of general anesthesia on postoperative cognitive functions. Material and Methods: We employed neuropsychological tests such as Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and Luria’s test to examine the cognitive function of patients before surgery and 6 hours, 24 hours, 7 days and 21 days after surgery. Results: On the basis of comparative analysis of the impact of selected anesthesia methods on cognitive function of patients undergoing surgery (penetrating keratoplasty), we concluded that a combination of regional anesthesia (pterygopalatine fossa blockade), dexmedetomidine infusion (0.3 µg/kg) and general analgesia (maintenance in an oxygen/sevoflurane mixture) with exclusion of Sibazon 0.5% had the shortest and the least profound impact on the cognitive function. Conclusion: On the basis of comparative analysis of the impact of selected anesthesia methods on cognitive function of patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty, we concluded that a combination of regional anesthesia (pterygopalatine fossa blockade), dexmedetomidine infusion (0.3 µg/kg) and general analgesia (maintenance in an oxygen/sevoflurane mixture) with removal of Sibazon 0.5% from premedication and presence of a reduced amount of fentanyl used during anesthesia had the shortest (with a mean duration of a day) and the least profound impact on cognitive state in patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery.