Is anesthesia given for a cataract surgery procedure?

The majority of cataract surgeries are performed with a local anesthetic or with a topical anesthetic, according to WebMD. These types of anesthetics may be used in the form of eye drops, or it may be injected inside of, next to or underneath the eye in order to numb nerves or to prevent the eye from moving when being operated on.

Cataract surgery is sometimes performed using general anesthesia if the patient undergoing the operation is experiencing anxiety, is not cooperating or if they have an allergy to specific local anesthetics. A person may need to have cataract surgery if they are suffering from double vision, sensitivity to light or if they have a serious eye threatening disease such as macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, according to WebMD.