A mystery solved

@blitzfrick From years both in Italy and here in Switzerland the local anesthesia for cataract surgery is done with eye drops only. Only in very difficult cases the inject a liquid in the external area of the eye, after they have put the anesthetic drops.

@LadyDuck I got further information on the procedure yesterday. The drops used in my upcoming surgery will be to super-dilate my eyes and to help with inflammation. The anesthesia will be intravenous through a vein in the back of my hand. But I won't go entirely to sleep, since they need me to be awake throughout the procedure. I find these different methods I'm learning about to be quite interesting!

It might be because they're implanting a stent in my eye as well. The anesthesia they're giving me allows me to remain awake enough to follow the doctor's instructions. That said, though, my two friends who've also had cataract surgery by this same clinic (different doctors) also got the "twilight sleep"-type anesthesia. Maybe it's just because of different methods being used by this clinic. Or it could be a ploy to get more money out of the insurance company—I wouldn't be surprised if that was it. I sure don't know for sure what their motive is.

@blitzfrick I did not follow anithing as I was sound asleep in my cataract surgery. I guess someone opened and closed my eyes for me

@marguicha Wow. Lucky you!

EXACTLY, omg. But I'll have to be sort of awake in order to follow instructions from the surgeon during the procedure. I had C-sections with both my deliveries (after 24hrs of labor with my first), but my friends who'd had kiddos the normal way told me about the "twilight sleep" and that it was wonderful.

Yes, I hear good reports of the results of this surgery. And I'm not worried about the surgery itself. The anesthesia won't knock me completely out, just make me a bit loopy.

Thank you! I'll take all the good wishes I can get. The operation will be not only to remove the cataract but also to implant a stent to drain the fluid causing the glaucoma.

Thanks for the good wishes. The anesthesia I'm getting won't knock me out completely. I have to be awake so I can follow the surgeon's directions as he operates. The drops that will be put into my eye are super-dooper dilation drops, stronger than they usually give me when I go in for a regualr exam.

Yes, I'm sure I will be fine. The surgery is tomorrow.

@blitzfrick :) You'll be in my prayers :) get well soonest after :)

Thank you. I'm not worried about the surgery at all. Just stressed about all the details to be attended to before and after, hoping I can keep all those ducks in a row, lol. About the surgery, I'll also be having a stent put into the eye, so it'll be slightly more involved than just the cataract surgery alone.