What Anesthesia Is Used For Laser Eye Surgery

Lasik which stands for laser in situ keratomileusis is a popular surgery to correct vision in people who are nearsighted or farsighted or who have astigmatism.

What anesthesia is used for laser eye surgery. Topical anesthesia using lidocaine topical gel is often used for quick procedures. For cataract surgery anesthesia is the medication used to numb the eye so you don t feel it during the procedure. Local anesthesia is most commonly used. Here is a brief account of all types of anesthesia used for cataract surgery.

Use of this laser has decreased with the availability of newer types and the ruby laser is not commonly used for laser airway surgery. If you require retina surgery. Learn more about the lasik eye. Since topical anesthesia requires cooperation from the patient general anesthesia is often used for children traumatic eye injuries or major orbitotomies and for apprehensive patients.

I operate almost exclusively at woodburn surgical center at inova fairfax hospital. Learn more since cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure lasting only about an hour or less you will remain awake and receive local anesthesia in the form of eye drops or a needle based block most of the time. You will also be monitored in this recovery phase. There are a few centers that use only topical numbing medication for the cataract surgery.

The anesthetizing eye drops are very similar to the numbing gels that your dentist will use on your gums prior to the start of a dental procedure. When the surgery is done other medications are used to reverse the effect of the anesthesia. By the way most adult eye surgery including cataracts are performed in similar fashion. There may be some measure of pressure as your surgeon proceeds with the surgical procedure and you may become acutely aware of the sounds in the.

Moreover topical anesthesia may be used in cataract surgery and consists of numbing eye drops to the surface of the eye. Local anesthesia has the advantage that it affects only the eye and tissues around it. Since the eye is heavily supplied by nerves anesthesia is essential. This is not recommended for retinal surgery general anesthesia.

Surgery is performed on an outpatient basis and go home soon after surgery is completed. Hence local or general anesthesia is used most commonly for eye muscle surgery. The anesthesia does not require strict medical fitness as is required in general anesthesia. However drops alone do not provide sufficient patient comfort to be used during most other kinds of eye surgery.

This is the strongest type of anesthesia and is most commonly used for surgeries that would otherwise be unbearably painful such as knee replacements and heart surgeries. Vitrectomy removal of erm repair of macular hole retinal detachment repair etc there are several choices of anesthesia for your eye surgery. The ruby laser can easily penetrate the anterior structures of the eye. General anesthesia is rarely needed for my patients.