What Anesthesia Is Used For Laser Eye Surgery

Local anesthesia has the advantage that it affects only the eye and tissues around it.

What anesthesia is used for laser eye surgery.

For cataract surgery anesthesia is the medication used to numb the eye so you don t feel it during the procedure. Surgery is performed on an outpatient basis and go home soon after surgery is completed. However drops alone do not provide sufficient patient comfort to be used during most other kinds of eye surgery. The ruby laser can easily penetrate the anterior structures of the eye.

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. Here is a brief account of all types of anesthesia used for cataract surgery. You will also be monitored in this recovery phase. Local anesthesia is most commonly used.

Use of this laser has decreased with the availability of newer types and the ruby laser is not commonly used for laser airway surgery. Learn more about the lasik eye. 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. Hence local or general anesthesia is used most commonly for eye muscle surgery.

Topical anesthesia using lidocaine topical gel is often used for quick procedures. Local anesthesia for cataract surgery. General anesthesia is rarely needed for my patients. Moreover topical anesthesia may be used in cataract surgery and consists of numbing eye drops to the surface of the eye.

This is not recommended for retinal surgery general anesthesia. The anesthesia does not require strict medical fitness as is required in general anesthesia. By the way most adult eye surgery including cataracts are performed in similar fashion. When the surgery is done other medications are used to reverse the effect of the anesthesia.

There are a few centers that use only topical numbing medication for the cataract surgery. 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. I operate almost exclusively at woodburn surgical center at inova fairfax hospital. Vitrectomy removal of erm repair of macular hole retinal detachment repair etc there are several choices of anesthesia for your eye surgery.

If you require retina surgery. It is used to photocoagulate vascular and pigmented retinal lesions. Since the eye is heavily supplied by nerves anesthesia is essential. Absolutely no pain is felt during the lasik surgery.