Effects of Oxygen Cage Support During Cataract Surgery

Cataract is an ocular disorder resulting from lens opacity; it stands as the most common cause of preventable blindness worldwide and significantly impairs the quality of life in elderly individuals. Surgical treatment utilizing small-incision phacoemulsification is the most effective solution for cataracts. Cataract surgery is generally performed under local anesthesia, which requires patients to remain awake throughout the operation, thereby potentially increasing their anxiety experiences. Elevated anxiety not only reduces patient comfort but can also lead to alterations in physiological parameters and a prolongation of the operation time. Furthermore, it is observed that the surgical drapes used to maintain the sterility of the surgical field during the operation cause discomfort to the patient. The weight and positioning of these drapes can cover the patient's mouth and nose area during the ongoing surgery, creating a sensation of difficulty in breathing (dyspnea). In addition to these circumstances, standard oxygen support is provided to the patient during cataract surgery performed under local anesthesia. This support is administered nasally via an open-ended oxygen tubing from beneath the surgical drape, aiming to ease the patient's respiration. However, when the oxygen flow rate is increased based on the patient's needs, high-velocity and high-concentration oxygen administration is observed to cause mucosal dryness, which shortly triggers reflex-induced irritative coughing attacks. For these reasons, it is crucial to keep anxiety under control, provide oxygen to prevent hypoxia, and monitor physiological parameters during cataract surgery.