Intraoperative visual experiences of cataract patients can be both pleasant and unpleasant
- K-G Au Eong1,
- C S H Tan2,
- C L Ang2,
- S S G Lee2,
- R Venkatesh3,
- R Muralikrishnan4,
- G L Fanning5,
- C M Kumar6
- 1The Eye Institute at Alexandra Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Singapore, The Eye Institute at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Singapore, Department of Ophthalmology, National Univeristy of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore
- 2The Eye Institute at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Singapore
- 3Aravind Eye Hospitals, Pondicherry, India
- 4Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology, Modurai, India
- 5Hauser-Ross Eye Institute, Sycamore, IL, USA
- 6Academic Department of Anaesthesia, The James Cook University Hospital, UK
- Correspondence to: Dr Kah-Guan Au Eong Alexandra Hospital 378 Alexandra Road Singapore, Singapore 159964; kah_guan_au_eongalexhosp.com.sg
- Accepted 13 May 2005
We read with interest Zia et al’s article, which highlights a professional artist’s and a poet’s respective renditions of their visual experiences during phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation under local anaesthesia.1 While it is unclear from the report whether the artist’s elaborate drawing resembling a “colourful monkey” was associated with a pleasant or frightening visual experience, it appears from the poem that the poet’s visual experience was most probably pleasant and delightful.
We have previously reported that the visual experience during cataract surgery under local anaesthesia can be frightening in up to 16.2% of patients.2–8 The anxiety that may result from the …
