Services

What We Do

Our highly skilled team of surgeons, nurses and technologists at the Hamilton Eye Institute Surgery Center specializes in a wide range of outpatient surgical procedures. Select the specialty of interest to view some of the more common surgeries performed in the center.

Anesthesiology

Our Anesthesia Team

Anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists put you to "sleep" for surgical procedures. All of our anesthesiologists have special training in adult and pediatrics and are experienced in putting the patient and the family at ease. These anesthesiologists work with nurse anesthetists to provide a full range of services. All surgical cases performed at the surgery center use the services of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists under the supervision of anesthesiologists.

What Is Anesthesia?

During surgery, you or your child will be given some form of anesthesia—medication administered for the relief of pain and sensation during surgery. The type and dosage of anesthesia is administered by the anesthesiologist. When scheduled for surgery, you will meet with the anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist before the procedure. The anesthesiologist will review you or your child's medical condition and history to plan the appropriate anesthetic for surgery.

What Are the Different Types of Anesthesia?

There are various forms of anesthesia. The type of anesthesia you or your child will receive will depend on the type of surgery and you or your child's medical condition. Usually, an anesthesiologist will administer a sedative to make you or your child sleepy, in addition to the anesthetic. The different types of anesthesia include the following:

• Local Anesthesia – Local anesthesia is an anesthetic agent given to temporarily stop the sense of pain in a particular area of the body. A patient remains conscious during a local anesthetic. For minor surgery, a local anesthetic can be administered via injection to the site. However, when a large area needs to be numbed, or if a local anesthetic injection will not penetrate deep enough, physicians may use regional anesthetics.
• Retrobulbar Block – Injection of a local anesthetic into the retrobulbar space of the eye to anesthetize and immobilize the eye.
• General Anesthesia – General anesthesia is an anesthetic used to induce unconsciousness during surgery. The medication is either inhaled through a breathing mask or tube or administered through an intravenous line (a thin plastic tube inserted into a vein, usually in the patient's forearm). A breathing tube may be inserted into the windpipe to maintain proper breathing during surgery.

Once the surgery is complete, the anesthesiologist stops the anesthetic, the medication wears off, and the patient gradually wakes up in the operating room. Complete recovery from anesthesia continues in the recovery room. Expect to be sleepy and to doze off often.

Cosmetic

Ophthalmology