BACKGROUND: Although the effect of clonidine, an alpha2 adrenoreceptor agonist, is well established, there is no study to evaluate the effects of addition of clonidine to ldegrees Cal anesthetics in elderly hypertensive patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of addition of clonidine to ldegrees Cal anesthetics in elderly hypertensive patients undergoing senile cataract surgery. METHODS: Forty elderly hypertensive patients who scheduled for elective senile cataract surgery were divided into two groups. The control group (n=20) received oral diazepam 0.1 mg/kg 60 min before surgery and the clonidine group (n=20) did not received premedication. A mixture of 2% liddegrees Caine and 0.5% bupivacaine with normal saline 0.7 ml (control group) or clonidine 100 ug (clonidine group) was used as a ldegrees Cal anesthetics. Perioperative blood pressure, heart rate, sedation score, and intradegrees Cular pressure were measured. RESULTS: After anesthesia, there was a significant fall in blood pressure and intradegrees Cular pressure in clonidine group, and increase in sedation score in clonidine group than control group. There was no difference in the perioperative heart rate between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The above results show that addition of clonidine to ldegrees Cal anesthetics in elderly hypertensive patients undergoing senile cataract surgery produced reduction in blood pressure, intradegrees Cular pressure and produced intraoperative sedation.