You probably expect your surgical patients to feel a certain degree of nervousness before they undergo their procedures, but have you ever wondered what they see while you're operating on them, and how they feel about it?

Researchers in Singapore studied 18 male and 24 female cataract patients to determine their subjective visual experiences during phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. The patients' mean age was 67.5 years.

The patients underwent phacoemulsification and IOL implantation under topical anesthesia. Interviewed later on the same day, 100% of them reported being able to see some light during the surgery.

Ninety-six percent could see some colors (red, yellow, blue, green, orange), 61.5% could see movements, and 46.2% saw flashes of light. Other patients saw the doctor's hands and the instruments. Eight patients (15.4%) saw a spectrum of colors similar to a rainbow.

Eight patients found the visual effects they saw to be frightening. The fear factor was independent of the patient's age, sex and other variables.