Is my doctor making an incorrect assumption about me?

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I live in the UK Today I went to hospital to see a consultant about my cataracts in one eye (which I got from an injury) When I saw the doctor he said to me he would be operating on me. However he said I would be under general anaesthetic for 20 mins and this surprised me because I assumed that I would be awake for cataract surgery.

My consultant was a very nice man but he explained that he would be concerned to operate on me while I am awake since I am a young person in case I panic or move any parts of my body while he operates on me. I was very anxious to see him in my appointment today because I was not sure how serious my eye condition was so he might have made an incorrect assumption that I would panic during surgery when he saw me today.


Could it be perhaps since he knows I am on the autistic spectrum that he wants to use general anesthetic on me? He did also remark "from the way you are behaving today I think you would panic if you were awake panic during surgery" and "old people don't panic during the operation because there are not as strong as young people's.

I remember I had eye styes removed 5 years ago and the doctors at the hospital remarked how calm I was compared to most people during the procedure.

He might have been incorrect, but it is a general concern:
younger people are strong enough to be a problem *if* they panic, and they are a lot less risky to put under general anaestetic, so this is typically done, for that reason.

If i were a doctor; i would not believe you on your word that you were calm before, it's a risk to operate on an awake person, especially if you are working on/in the head...

Oh god, why would you want to be awake for that? What possible good would come from that?

I'd be so curious to stay awake during such a procedure, but I'd actually probably ask for full narcosis. It's EYE surgery. I'd prefer to make that as risk-free as possible.

So long as there is a registered atheist is should be fine.

Try not to take I personally, as he is operating it I really about what condition he feel comfortable operating under.

Your doctor probably picked the wrong words. They do that. He may be afraid to operate without anesthesia. Don't take it personally. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about anesthesia.