EYE DISORDERS & GENERAL REFERENCE

Anesthesia—Subtenon’s

Today, many surgeries of the eye can be performed using techniques that allow your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) to use injectable anesthetics to completely numb your eye before your surgical procedure rather than putting you to sleep using general anesthesia.

Subtenons anesthesia is the injection of a local anesthetic that completely numbs the eye. First, you are given eye drops to numb the eye and make the injection more comfortable. Then, your ophthalmologist snips your conjunctiva, the thin skin covering the white portion of the eye, and injects a local anesthetic deep underneath a membrane (called the Tenon’s membrane) that envelops the eye. The anesthetic travels all around your eyeball, completely numbing your eye so that you feel no pain during surgery.

By using subtenon’s anesthesia, your ophthalmologist ensures that you are as comfortable as possible during surgery. Since you will not be put to sleep using general anesthesia, your recovery time after surgery will be much quicker, and you will be able to go home the same day.