In my deliberations with patients considering cataract surgery or vision correction treatments - perhaps the single biggest concern that people express to me is the following question..

"Doc, how do I keep my eye open during the operation?"

Given that over 99% of surgeries we carry out are under local anesthetic - meaning the patient is awake during the procedure - I guess this is a perfectly understandable concern. 

The answer is of course that the patient is not at all expected to keep their eye open during the procedure !  A simple clip like device is used to prop the eyelids open. This is typically in conjunction with a drape to keep the eyelashes well out of the way of the intended procedure. 

This process is perfectly comfortable and very well tolerated by patients.

But do remember that for those who are especially anxious about the procedure we can also administer sedation to help keep people calm and comfortable but for the most nervous of patients it is still quite possbile to undergo most forms of eye treatment (excluding Laser vision correction procedures) under General Anaesthetic , though this approach is required in less than 1% of people that we treat. 

On a related topic - remember that the fellow eye can be left open so that normal blinking can continue - but the blinking sensation does not impact the eye which is undergoing the procedure.