The WORST pain I’ve ever experienced was during my cataract surgery...and I was told I would feel nothing...after the first shot in the eye, I loudly but very controllably proclaimed for all patients nearby to hear, “that was the worst pain ever” (I wanted to scream, actually). The doc looked at the anesthesiologist and said “this next one won’t hurt” and it did not. But, sheesh...I was very unhappy. I had an IV of something and obviously the level was incorrect.
I had two eye muscle corrections the last 60 years ago. The first was under ether. It was awful during recovery. So, when asked if doing the next one by local anesthetic was OK, I said absolutely. After the injection I was awaiting to see nothing. No one told me the local did not deaden the optic nerve. I was 13 and still recall how disconcerting it was to see my cheeks and mouth from the top down perspective. I also was not too keen on seeing the dr headed toward my eyes with a scaple. Live and learn.