Pearls to enhance patient comfort, streamline surgery: Physicians should consider the roles of verbal and ocular anesthesia.

PREVENTION of surgical complications; ANXIETY prevention; COST control; LOCAL anesthetics; CUTANEOUS therapeutics; LOCAL anesthesia; CENTERS for Medicare & Medicaid Services (U.S.); HEALTH insurance reimbursement; INSURANCE; CATARACT surgery; PAIN; PAIN management; PHYSICIAN-patient relations; HUMAN comfort; PATIENT satisfaction; RELAXATION techniques

The author offers insights to enhance the comfort of cataract surgery patients. Topics covered include the use of verbal anesthesia via gentle and positive verbal cues to help guide patients through the procedure, and the option of a simpler ocular surface approach to anesthesia like the use of chloroprocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic gel 3% which also aligns with the reduction of opioid use in medical procedures. Also noted is the latter's enabling of cost savings for patients.