Most adult patients are awake...but drowsy during retinal surgery. The anaesthetist will give sedatives intravenously...and the surgeon will freeze the eye with local anaesthetic. During the surgery...which typically takes between one and two hours...the patient will be drowsy but awake...and be aware of his or her surroundings. We want the patient to remain somewhat alert...because if the patient is too deep...they'll forget where they are and try to move (or climb off the operating room table!).
If a patient is claustrophobic...or just unable to contemplate being at all aware of the surgery...then general anaesthesia is used.
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