What does laser retinopexy feel like during and after a retinal tear procedure?

[Stephen54]

I’ve been told I have a retinal tear and my doctor is recommending laser retinopexy to seal it. I’m trying to understand what the procedure actually feels like during and right after—is the laser itself painful, and how long does that gritty, irritated sensation typically last?

[AdamH]

With laser retinopexy I remember the eye being numbed with drops so there isn’t real pain during the shots. The laser itself felt like a quick flash or a tiny snap, maybe a warm sting, and it’s over in a few seconds.

[RyanT]

I had it last month. The shots themselves were brief, mostly a pinprick followed by a tiny warm spot. Afterward my eye felt gritty and dry, light sensitivity for about a day, and vision was a little blurry for a few hours before it improved. I used the eye drops and tried to rest.

[ScarlettT]

I didn’t feel real pain, more pressure and a buzzing sound as they fired the laser. The gritty, irritated feeling stuck around for about a day or two, and I avoided rubbing the eye. Reading and screens were annoying for a bit due to dryness.

[Riley38]

Do you think the tear is the real problem, or is the bigger issue anxiety about the procedure? I kept wondering if the symptoms were from the tear or just stress about the laser.

[Ava.R]

I drifted a bit here but the light was bright on my drive home and I wore sunglasses; that sensitivity faded by the next day, though the gritty sensation lingered a bit longer than I expected.