What type of anesthesia is commonly used during a LASIK procedure?

Topical anesthesia is the commonly used form of anesthesia during a LASIK procedure because it is effective in numbing the surface of the eye without requiring any needle injections. This type of anesthesia allows the patient to remain awake and comfortable during the surgery, which is vital for the procedure’s requirements that involve precise eye movements.

The administration of topical anesthesia usually involves eye drops that provide rapid onset of numbness in the cornea. This ensures that the patient does not feel pain or discomfort while the surgeon performs the laser treatment on the cornea.

In contrast, general anesthesia is not used during LASIK because it would necessitate the patient being completely unconscious, which is not ideal for a procedure where patient cooperation is important. Local anesthesia, while it could refer to focal numbing at a site, is more invasive and is not typically required for the surface-level work done in LASIK. Similarly, regional anesthesia, which involves blocking sensation in larger areas of the body, is unnecessary for the localized surface treatment of the eye. Thus, topical anesthesia is the most suitable and widely used option for LASIK procedures.