Oral Versus Intravenous Sedation for Ocular Procedures

Overview

The purpose of this study is to evaluate patient satisfaction after eye surgery when given a capsule compared to an intravenous (IV) dose of sedation (calming medication). Each subject will be given a capsule and an IV in the hospital before their procedure starts, however they will not know which one is the sedation route. Each subject will have their planned surgical procedure as previously discussed with their doctor. After the procedure is completed, the doctors will complete satisfaction surveys. The subject will also complete a satisfaction survey during their regularly scheduled visit the day after surgery. Once the subject completes this survey, their study participation will be complete. The hypothesis is that there will be no difference in patient satisfaction when given a capsule in comparison to IV sedation. If the results of the study support this hypothesis, a capsule could be used in place of IV sedation. By using a capsule for ocular procedures, both patients and the medical practice would benefit: patient would be able to eat before their procedure, patient costs would be decreased, hospital costs would be reduced, and some of these procedures would be given the option to move to a procedure room (freeing up operating room time for other departments).

The primary objective of this study is to compare patient satisfaction of oral triazolam to IV midazolam when administered for ocular procedures. Midazolam is an FDA-approved intravenous medication commonly used as a sedative for ocular procedures conducted in the operating room. This study will compare the use of triazolam, an FDA-approved oral sedative for the same types of ocular procedures, a purpose which has not fully been investigated. The benzodiazepine triazolam was chosen as the oral medication due to its similarity to midazolam. The similarities between midazolam and triazolam include similar half-life, risks, and patient experience.The medication doses were chosen from current SOC use based on weight. The lower dose for both medications are used for patients with a BMI less than 35 and the higher dose is used for patients with a BMI greater than or equal to 35. This is the first double-blind, prospective clinical trial that will compare IV and oral sedation for multiple ocular sub-specialty procedures. The procedures to be investigated include: cataract, retina, cornea, and glaucoma surgical groups.