Preparing for eye surgery
Eye surgery, while common, is still surgery and should not be taken lightly. It is a surgery that requires proper preparation in order to get the best results possible. The eye is a delicate organ, and not one to be trifled with. It requires that you take extreme care before, during and after a surgical procedure in order to best protect your vision, and help you get the best results possible.
When preparing for eye surgery, it is wise to start by doing research of the potential surgeons who will perform the surgery. Look for a surgeon who has enough experience, who has refractive eye surgery as their specialty, and that has a history of positive results. Once you have chosen your expert eye surgeon, you must have a consultation and evaluation with them. You can't just decide you want LASIK and go get it, an expert ophthalmologist must identify the need for specific procedure and be responsible for conducting the procedure safely.
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Your ophthalmologist will conduct an exam of your eye to determine if you are a good candidate for eye surgery. You need to be honest about any conditions or problems you may have, as pregnancy, diabetes, and other similar things can cause your eyes to not heal properly, and may lead to worsening of eyes, rather than repair. So, first and foremost, go into your evaluation with complete honesty so that your ophthalmologist can choose the best surgery type for you.
Once it is determined that you are a good candidate for eye surgery, you will prepare for the surgery by having a ride lined up, as you can't drive yourself home after surgery, and by having plans in place so you can take a day or so off work, and not strain your eyes.
You will go into the clinic where the eye surgery is being performed.
Your surgeon will make sure that you get proper anesthesia, as it is a must for any eye surgery. If you have an allergies it is good to let them know upfront so you do not have a reaction during your eye surgery. Local anesthesia is most commonly used. In order to treat the eye, retrobulbar and peribulbar techniques are used to infiltrate the local area surrounding the eye muscle cone in order to immobilize the extraocular muscles and eliminate pain sensation. In addition to that, topical anesthesia using lidocaine topical gel may be used, and is common if the procedure you will be undergoing is quick, and the anxiety of the patient is low. It is essential that you hold still and that you are not too anxious of the procedure will not go well.
Children, traumatic eye injuries, major orbitotomies and apprehensive patients are usually given anesthesia, rather than just a local anesthetic.
If you have general anesthesia, then your cardiovascular system will be monitored during the process.
Your physician will make sure that the area surrounding your eye is sterile, and that all equipment, and other things are sterile as well so you do not get any infection in your eyes.
In addition to anesthesia, sterile environment, and the right physician, your treating physician will use an eye speculum. This is inserted into your eye in order to keep the eyes wide open, and still during the surgical procedure. Your eye has to remain still during eye surgery, so it is important that you are honest about your feelings, if you are too nervous, your doctor may use a facial nerve block agent, such as lidocaine and bupivacaine.
