Eye drop vs Eye injection before cataract operation?

I remember my surgeries clearly. Might be a Canadian thing and they keep costs to minimum with our national healthcare system. No IV used - just big vial of numbing liquid poured in my eye. Whole thing took 10 mins. They do many surgeries a day here. You are all in waiting area together and called in one by one like sheep.

I see, well here in Denmark i believe no surgeons use IV for that, but I off course it is just a guess.

I was offered a relaxing pill, but I don´t like that stuff, so i had the surgery with just a few different eye drops, and it worked great, I was ably to get up and leave with a clear head right after the surgeon removed the paper stuff that covered the rest of my face.

And I could see the same second the lights came on in the room, it was quite amazing.

You are all in waiting area together and called in one by one like sheep.

Like sheep to the slaughter house 😃 I don't think they give IV here either.

The first surgeon we visited (injection in eye guy) said he gives a tablet that basically puts you to sleep and when you wake up all is done. My wife had this tablet long time ago when they put a tube through her mouth to check her stomach. My wife likes the sound of it.

Any idea what it is?

In Denmark we are offered some type of benzodiazepine, but if lights are completely out, I guess it must be something that is somewhat stronger.

Eye injection definitely exists. My Mum had injection in the eye during cataract surgery. It felt like a pinch she said (It was UK NHS if I remember correctly).

Dad had few years later and he had just the drops.

Ouch your poor mom. Glad things improved over the years.

Thanks for sharing.

I guess it is different from one surgeon to another, I only had some eye drops, no other type of anesthesia, no IV, no pills, so I was at full consciousness the hole time, and I did not feel a thing, no pain at all, and I really did not even feel he was poking around in my eye.

What I don't understand is, what if you move/roll your eyeball while surgeon is working on it? 😮

Then I guess the surgeon would tell me to stop doing it - lol 😃

The eye is sedated, so you don´t feel the need for moving your eye as normal, it was just a little annoying to look into the bright light, but it was ok.

I guess most people take the relaxing pill for the same reason, but I have a calm personality from natures side, so I really was not worried about the surgery, I was much more excited to see the result.

During the surgery I dreamed myself away, saw myself riding my motorcycle along the sea, looking over the sea with my new vision, and I heard the surgeon talk in the background with the nurse about his recent trip to China while he was working.

Then I saw the rings from the new lens coming in from the side, and the rings were straight in my eyesight, I was thinking "Oh, there is the new lens, but I think he needs to move it a little bit", then I could see the rings being moved further, and a clear center was placed right in the middle of the eyesight, and I thought to myself "That looks right, leave it there" and two seconds after the surgeon said "There it is, perfect!" so at least we agreed about that 😃

It went really quick, it felt like maybe 5 minutes, a regular check at the dentist is worse I think, I am not scared about the next surgery at all, I am more worried/excited to see if the vision will become good, you never know with people like me, that are born with cataracts.

But I am counting the hours, I want to get it over with now 😃

I saw the rings of Symfony as it was implanted also - was pretty cool. I had numbing drops and Ativan but Ativan only kicked in once I got home and I took a 3 hour nap! You're right I's rather have cataract surgery than have my teeth cleaned - lot less discomfort!

I had no memory at all of the cataract surgery operation after the doctor started. Next thing I knew it was all finished! They did use an IV but they said only to keep you slightly relaxed, but its like I dozed off for the whole thing.

My surgeon injected drugs to minimize the eyedrops I had to take - I only had to take 2 drops a day because of that.

Guessing each surgeon had his preferred procedure.

Likely you were given that conscious sedation drug. I had it when I had to have an Endoscopy exam. You're awake but barely and feels like you are in and out of sleep.

with laser surgery you eye is locked with the femtolaser machine with a vacuum cup.

I did not know that. my own was done via Phacoemulsification.

before phacoemulsification the capsular hexis and breaking up the lens is with laser. it actually pained a bit.

i had IV and was still totally awake. i remember whole thing. next time need more. lol

I went with the laser option as well, even though my surgeon was very frank in saying the outcomes are pretty much the same after one year with laser or traditional.

I gave a detailed review of the experience in my post about my experience with the PanOptix. The laser portion of the procedure was very comfortable and easy. No pain, no discomfort. The second portion wear the natural lens is extracted and the IOL is implanted, no pain, but wasn't "comfortable".

The Ativan happy pill had no noticeable impact on me at all (fully alert, no sleepy, didn't feel different at all). I did ask afterwards what my blood pressure was during the second part of the operation, and it was slightly higher than my normal. Maybe it would have been higher still without the Ativan.

they used the catalys laser and it hurt like tiny needle pokes. they make the corneal incisions with the laser, cut the anterior capsule (capsular hexis) and with catalys they also break up the lens for easier phacoemulsifciation. i didnt not sleep at all the night earlier due to being worried.

Did they give you an Ativan to help with anxiety? After reading your description I am glad I didn't have the laser surgery. I felt no pain or discomfort at all. Most sites say there isn't any additional benefit anyways to using a laser.

My clinic also uses the Catalys (J&S) femtosecond laser, and I didn't feel anything at all.Like you, I had the rubber vacuum ring to hold the eye open. The ring is filled with a saline solution that I actually found to be very comfortable!

Like everyone else I had a whole lot of eye drops pre-surgery. Some to dilate the pupils, and some topical numbing eye drops... too many eye drops to count.But I do recall that just before the moved me under the laser, they put two more numbing eye drops in my eyes. Maybe the last two eye drops made all the difference, but for me the laser portion was surprisingly comfortable.

no they had IV to help relax. the pain wasn't a big deal but i definitely did notice it when the laser was administered.

OK glad they did give you an IV as it sounded like you were in pain!

I wonder if you would have felt the same or even more with traditional blade cataract surgery?You may just be one of the "lucky" ones who feel it more. Maybe more numbing drops would have helped.

Everyone is different, but I think most people feel little or no discomfort during the laser portion of the operation.

i do ask my dentist to give double dose anesthesia.

Last time I was at the dentist they put numbing gel on my gum so I wouldn't feel injection as much but I must have swallowed some of the gel and my throat started to tingle - only tome I feel like that is allergic reaction so I started to panic.

that gel also doesnt do much for me. and i have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning.

It didn't help with the injection at all. Made my throat feel like it was swelling. They left me there while freezing kicked in but I got out of that chair to find someone quick thinking I had an allergic reaction.

Good luck tomorrow - for those of us who dread going to the dentist it's not easy to muster up the courage.

is bad teeth also a precursor to cataract? i have 2 root canals, 1 crown and one filling. my wife has such good teeth that she cannot even floss nor can they clean at dental office. there is no space between teeth.

Actually I have good teeth - haven't had a cavity filled in years - this was an old one that needed redoing. But was told my eczema was an indication (or rather the treatments of steriods) were a contributing factor to cataracts.

Just to update this thread too...

We asked the surgeon about eye injection for catarat surgery. He said it is old skool and he would advise against it.