Cataract Surgery- Anesthesia

The first step in cataract surgery is to anesthetize the eye. This can be accomplished by eye drops alone or through an injection alongside the eye. General anesthesia is rarely used for cataract surgery, so whether you choose eye drops or an injection, you'll be awake during surgery, though usually quite relaxed and comfortable due to intravenous sedation.

When eye drops alone are used, you retain the ability to see during surgery and the ability to move your eye. Therefore, you'll need to be careful not to move too much and you'll have to get used to the brightness of the operating microscope. Because your eye can still move, your doctor may need to talk you during the procedure. Therefore, eye drop anesthesia is not appropriate for patients who have difficulty hearing or difficulty communicating.

When an injection is used, most doctors will give you medication to put you to sleep for a minute or two during the injection so that you don't feel or remember it. In addition to numbing the eye, injection anesthesia numbs the nerve that carries the vision back to the brain and the nerves that control the muscles that move the eye, so you won't be able to see anything or move your eye during surgery.

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