Stepwise Training In Sub-Tenon’S Anaesthesia During A Charity Ophthalmic Mission In Burkina Faso: Clinical Outcomes And Educational Impact For A Final-Year Uk Medical Student.

This report describes the clinical experience, supervised training, and short-term results of stepwise sub-Tenon’s anaesthesia learning by a final-year UK medical student during a charity cataract surgery mission in Burkina Faso, a resource-limited setting. It also assesses the adequacy, safety, and educational value of the anaesthetic technique.

A UK-led team ran a one-week ophthalmology and anaesthesia teaching mission in Burkina Faso. They performed many cataract surgeries and trained local clinicians in regional eye anaesthesia techniques at a hospital with limited resources.

The medical student first observed 15 sub-Tenon’s blocks, then received structured, supervised training in the inferonasal fornix approach. Training covered placing the lid speculum, exposing the fornix, making incisions in the conjunctiva and Tenon’s capsule, and advancing a blunt cannula along the eye. The student used a standard mix of lidocaine 2% and bupivacaine 0.5%, following usual practice, and then performed 15 supervised sub-Tenon’s blocks. Outcomes measured were anaesthesia adequacy, level of eye movement, need for extra anaesthesia during surgery, minor complications, and supervisor feedback.

Out of 15 supervised sub-Tenon’s blocks done by the medical student, 12 cases (80%) had enough anaesthesia. Three cases (20%) needed extra anaesthesia during surgery. Eye movement was reduced in 7 cases (47%). Three patients had some swelling of the conjunctiva (chemosis). There were no major complications such as orbital bleeding, eye injury, or serious side effects. Supervising surgeons said the student learned the technique safely and achieved the expected anaesthetic results.

Supervised, step-by-step training in sub-Tenon’s anaesthesia during the charity mission helped the medical student safely learn regional anaesthesia skills early on. The experience improved understanding of eye anatomy, increased confidence with the procedure, and raised awareness of teamwork and safety in busy, low-resource settings. Starting structured training in eye anaesthesia early may help with future surgical training and career growth.