Eye Anesthesia

Overview

Eye surgeries are done under topical, regional and general anaesthesia. Topical anaesthesia involves the use of anaesthetic eye drops. Regional anaesthesia can be given via a few techniques, for example facial block, retrobulbar block, peribulbar block, sub-tenon block, frontal block and intracameral block. Facial block is further divided into van Lint's block, Atkinson's block, O' Brien's block and Nadbath block, where different nerves are targeted. Drugs are injected into muscle cone behind the eyeball in retrobulbar block, peribulbar space in peribulbar block, under Tenon's capsule in sub-tenon block, below supraorbital margin and directed towards the orbit roof in frontal block, and near nerve tissues in intracameral block. Meanwhile, general anaesthesia makes you completely unconscious. You do not feel pain and will not be able to recall the surgery. The type of anaesthesia given will depend on factors such as your age, the type of surgery, your overall health, and your previous experience with anaesthesia.