Subconjunctival lidocaine appears to significantly reduce pain from laser retinopexy

This prospective, masked study included 65 patients randomized to subjunctival 2% lidocaine or sham injection before undergoing panretinal photocoagulation or peripheral laser retinopexy. A crossover group of patients who needed a second laser treatment received the opposite injection prior to treatment. Treated patients were more than 20 times more likely to be pain free than patients receiving the sham. In the crossover population, patients were 20 times more likely to prefer the anesthetic over the sham