AbstractIntroduction: It is difficult to compare the pain induced by different surgical modalities because pain is a subjective sensation that is highly dependent on the patient’s emotional state and cultural background. In the present study, we compared the pain between patients who had phacoemulsification with topical anaesthesia and patients who had phacoemulsification with peribulbar anesthetic infiltration. Materials & Methods: Total of 50 patients who were planned to undergo cataract surgery was included in the study. They were divided into two groups 25 in group A and 25 in group B. Group A patients received Peribulbar anaesthesia were as patients in group B received topical anaesthesia. Results: Five patients in the topical anaesthesia group required additional eyedrops during surgery for discomfort. No patient in the topical anaesthesia group required conversion to peribulbar anaesthesia. Patients in the Peribulbar anaesthesia group reported significantly greater pain than patients in the topical anaesthesia group (P = 0.0056, Mann-Whitney). Discussion & Conclusion: Topical anaesthesia is a simple, safe, atraumatic technique. Its benefits are numerous. The speed and ease of administering topical anaesthesia coupled with the rapid visual recovery after surgery makes this method a suitable and safe choice. It can be proposed as a good alternative to peribulbar or retrobulbar anaesthesia and is likely to become the preferred type of anaesthesia.