LASIK, or laser in situ keratomileusis, is a vision correction surgery in which an ophthalmologist or eye surgeon remodels the cornea, the thin, outer layer of the eye. Patients undergoing this procedure do not require general anesthesia and instead are given topical eye drops to numb the eye. The anesthetic used for LASIK comes in the form of eye drops and there is no single anesthetic that is universally used for all LASIK procedures. A review article was compiled and filtered to analyze the application and differences between the different types of anesthetics used in LASIK surgery.
The most commonly reported negative consequence of LASIK when anesthesia was used was dry eyes for a short period of time. General anesthesia during any type of surgery has its own risks and would significantly increase the cost of LASIK without adding significant benefits. A statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the application and distinctions between the different painkillers used in LASIK surgery by collecting and filtering information from several research studies. To date, few studies have effectively compared the use of anesthetics used historically in LASIK surgery.
Eye drops remain the preferred route of administration of anesthesia because of their numbing effects located only in the eye. This means that if you blink or move your eye during surgery, which is virtually impossible, the LASIK team would interrupt operations. If you fear being anxious during the procedure, your LASIK surgeon will give you a mild sedative or other medication before surgery to help you relax. Future research could focus on finding a solution to eliminate the need for LASIK surgery.
