Anesthetic considerations in ophthalmic patients
- Avoid Increased Intraocular Pressure: It is crucial to prevent increased intraocular pressure in patients with conditions such as corneal ulcers, descemetocele, glaucoma, and cataracts to avoid exacerbating these conditions.
- Maintain Normal Intraocular Pressure: Keeping intraocular pressure normal can be achieved by maintaining normocapnia (normal levels of carbon dioxide in the blood) and avoiding drugs that induce vomiting or retching.
- Minimize Patient Distress: During both the induction and recovery phases of anesthesia, it is important to avoid patient struggling and excessive restraint. This helps in reducing stress and potential trauma to the eye.
- Ensure Appropriate Analgesia: Providing appropriate analgesia helps to ensure a smooth recovery process and minimizes the risk of trauma to the eye.
- Tailor Anesthetic Management: Anesthetic procedures should be largely dictated by the patient’s underlying health conditions. This includes using reinforced endotracheal tubes to prevent tracheal obstruction, especially when the head is positioned “chin on chest,” and employing non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents for cataract surgeries to maintain a centrally positioned pupil. Additionally, mechanical or assisted ventilation is essential when using these agents.
Dr Vet. Robert Trujanovic was born in Belgrade in 1990 and studied at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Belgrade, where he graduated in veterinary medicine in 2015. He moved to Vienna in 2015 to start his position as assistant doctor in anesthesiology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, and later, he completed his internship there from 2017-2018. During this time, his interest in veterinary anesthesia deepened further and he started a residency at the Vetmeduni Vienna in 2018, which has been completed in 2021.
Throughout his time at the university, he has been heavily involved in research and teaching. Working on studies and passing on knowledge to students and colleges is especially important to him, as he finds that this is the only way to improve veterinary medicine. By working with simulators, he teaches students theoretical knowledge easily and quickly so that they can master later challenges quickly and efficiently. In addition, he is a passionate regional anaesthetist, passing on his knowledge through the latest learning methods. Inspired by these developments in veterinary regional anaesthesia and the huge popularity of it, he led a team of experts in veterinary medicine and have invested a great deal of passion into creating the first mobile app - the Vet RA App - focused on the most commonly used nerve blocks in small animals. Furthermore, he is very interested in cardiology, where he also continuously educates himself and applies and passes on his knowledge in the daily clinical routine. In addition, he is active as a speaker at various training events.
Throughout his time at the university, he has been heavily involved in research and teaching. Working on studies and passing on knowledge to students and colleges is especially important to him, as he finds that this is the only way to improve veterinary medicine. By working with simulators, he teaches students theoretical knowledge easily and quickly so that they can master later challenges quickly and efficiently. In addition, he is a passionate regional anaesthetist, passing on his knowledge through the latest learning methods. Inspired by these developments in veterinary regional anaesthesia and the huge popularity of it, he led a team of experts in veterinary medicine and have invested a great deal of passion into creating the first mobile app - the Vet RA App - focused on the most commonly used nerve blocks in small animals. Furthermore, he is very interested in cardiology, where he also continuously educates himself and applies and passes on his knowledge in the daily clinical routine. In addition, he is active as a speaker at various training events.