Local Anesthetic

[jayuk]

Hi Gang

Hope everyone is well!

I wanted to see if anyone had any corneal work done under Local Anesthetic and what it had entailed?

I am due some Astigmatism related work and my Consultant will be doing it under Local - which makes me a little anxious but equally positive in that I dont need a General.

What does it generally entail? Drops to numb the eye, injection in the eye? etc

Jay

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Jay,
No injections involved - just anaesthetic drops into the eyes. Didn't you have sutures out post graft with local anaesthetic? More recently I had a cataract removed in one of my grafted eyes which is always done under local. I was told that I could have some sedation as well as the local and I was so relaxed on the operating table, that I was convinced I must have had some sedation. It turned out that I hadn't! All the best and let us know how it goes.

[jayuk]

Hi Jay,
No injections involved - just anaesthetic drops into the eyes. Didn't you have sutures out post graft with local anaesthetic? More recently I had a cataract removed in one of my grafted eyes which is always done under local. I was told that I could have some sedation as well as the local and I was so relaxed on the operating table, that I was convinced I must have had some sedation. It turned out that I hadn't! All the best and let us know how it goes.

Hi Anne

I had sutures removed with topical drops yes. That was bearable

But what I need now to treat Astigmatism is a wedge resection. So they slice a part of the cornea away and tuck if underneath the host material to make the astigmatism lower and then join it with 5 to 8 sutures

All this under Local - but wasnt sure what Local meant yet.

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Jay,
I've just googled 'eye surgery under local anaesthetic' and found some really good patient information leaflets from various hospitals (the Royal Berkshire one was short and clear). And of course, I was wrong. Local CAN sometimes involve an injection around the eye to 'freeze' it as well as topical drops. If I had one for my cataract, I didn't feel it. For the surgery, my face was covered, with just a slit for the relevant eye, so I couldn't 'see' what was being done. My procedure took about 20 mins and did involve 3 sutures (because of my graft). Definitely bearable! And I recently spoke to someone who'd had a corneal transplant under local which is obviously a much longer operation and was OK about it. So all the very best for your resection and apologies for the initially misleading answer.

[Denham]

Hi I had this procedure last year under local anesthetic. I was given numbing drops first then an injection in the corner of my eye near my nose. After the anesthetic was administered my eye felt it had blown up like a balloon. This sensation lasted for a minute or so. Once in the operating theatre my face was covered with a sheet leaving a slit over my left eye. A nurse held my hand to squeeze if I needed the surgeon to stop if any reason. My procedure lasted an hour during that time I was given another injection. My procedure went well, I had another procedure in February under numbing drops which has improved my sight beyond what was expected.

[jayuk]

Hi

Just wanted to update to say I had the procedure

Was given IV Sedation and topical drops - i cant remember the rest as I was too spaced out! But whole thing lasted 25 mins and left with 7 sutures and on path of recovery with astigmatism already down from 14 to 6 and hopefully to 0 to 2 after sutures out.

If ever you get the option of IV Sedation - take it. It was such a good feeling

J