UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

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

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.

Anne Klepacz wrote: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.

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.

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.

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