What kinds of anesthesia are available for adults having eye surgery?
A “general”, “local”, or “topical”anesthesia is necessary during all kinds of surgery to reduce or eliminate pain. Eye surgery is no exception. Topical or local anesthesia, which blocks sensation to one area of the body but does not affect general consciousness, is not appropriate for children having eye surgery but can be considered in adult surgery. General anesthesia, which puts the whole body “to sleep” and eliminates the possibility of movement, is also commonly used, especially for children. How is general anesthesia administered? General anesthesia is usually given to adults in two stages. First, a relaxing drug can be given to the patient. This drug is usually delivered through an intravenous (IV) line. An IV line is usually placed in a vein of the arm as part of preparations for surgery. Once in the operating room the additional medicines are administered through the IV line to induce sleep. After the patient is asleep, a breathing-tube is placed in the windpipe to allow the a
