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Information should be made available to patients that gives details of the surgery and local and general anaesthesia for ophthalmic procedures, as well as advice on what to expect on the day of admission. The Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists have a range of booklets available on their websites to help to inform patients.^55,56,57

Written instructions regarding the plan for the perioperative management of existing medications, including if and when to stop anticoagulants, should be given to the patient.

Written information for patients should be easy to read. It should be available in an appropriate language and format for those patients who are visually impaired.^58,59 It may be necessary to provide translations of patient information booklets into languages suitable for the local population.

Patients having ophthalmic surgery should undergo preoperative preparation, where there is the opportunity to assess medical fitness and impart information about the procedure.⁷

Patients who require general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation should undergo preoperative anaesthetic assessment.⁷

As part of preoperative preparation, the plan for the perioperative management of any existing medications, such as anticoagulant drugs and diabetic treatment, should be agreed, taking into account the relative risks of stopping any medication in the light of the patient’s medical condition and the anaesthetic technique required. Advice should be sought from the multiprofessional team (e.g. medical colleagues, clinical...

The majority of ophthalmic surgery is performed as a daycase procedure under local anaesthesia.²² Preoperative assessment should identify those patients who are not suitable for this approach and who might require general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation.^2,23

Where ophthalmic surgery is performed as a daycase procedure, the facilities should conform to best practice guidance. Day surgery operating theatres should meet the same standards as inpatient operating theatres.^24,25,26 Room should be available for patients to be seen in private by the anaesthetist and surgeon on the day of surgery.²There should...

In units where ophthalmic surgery is performed, including locations that may be isolated from main theatre services, facilities provided should allow for the safe conduct of anaesthesia and sedation. This would include monitoring equipment, oxygen, availability of opioid and benzodiazepine antagonist drugs, a recovery area, and drugs and equipment to deal with emergencies such as cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis and local...

All areas in which ophthalmic anaesthesia is performed should have a reliable supply of the medicines required to deliver safe anaesthesia and sedation. Storage arrangements should be such that there is prompt access to them if clinically required, maintains integrity of the medicines, and ensures compliance with safe and secure storage of medicines regulations.³¹ In addition, anaesthetists and...