​OPHTHALMICS (EYE SURGERY)

Eye surgery is most commonly performed under local/regional anaesthesia ("eye block") and sedation. A light sedative will be administered via your cannula. You may remember very little after this sedative has been administered.

A nerve block will then be placed around your eye ("eye block"). This involves administering eye drops, cleaning your eye with anti-septic, then inserting a very small needle around the side of the eye. The majority of patients do not feel or remember this being done due to the sedative. Over the next 5 minutes the eye will become anaesthetized ("numb"). The eye will gradually close, and you will not be able to feel its movement or see out of the eye. 

You will then be transported into the operating room where the surgeon will perform your procedure. You will be awake for the procedure unless otherwise discussed. You will not feel any pain due to insertion of the "eye block". If any discomfort is experienced, further anaesthetic can be placed during the surgery. At the end of the procedure you will be transported to recovery. A typical cataract procedure takes less than 30 minutes. The "eye block" will last 4-8 hours.