Simple technique conserves viscoelastic
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This is a simple and novel technique to efficiently and cost-effectively save an unnecessary extra viscoelastic syringe during cataract surgery.
Surgeons occasionally reach the point of inserting the IOL with a request from our assistants for one more viscoelastic syringe to fill the cartridge with a small amount of viscoelastic. Some of the reasons include:
Source: Alan E. Solinsky, MD
1. The assistant forgets to fill the cartridge with viscoelastic before the surgeon uses the entire tube of viscoelastic.
2. The assistant or surgeon has difficulty folding the lens or a scratch is noted on the lens, and a new lens and additional viscoelastic are required.
3. There is trouble inserting the lens into the wound, and it needs to be reloaded or a new lens is needed as well as additional viscoelastic.
An alternative to opening an additional expensive tube of viscoelastic is to safely aspirate a small amount of viscoelastic from the anterior chamber before IOL insertion. The surgeon places the 19-gauge cannula from the balanced salt solution bottle onto a 3-cc syringe, both of which are already on the surgical tray. Use of the 19-gauge cannula was suggested by our surgical assistant. Aspirating just enough viscoelastic to fill the IOL cartridge will continue to maintain the anterior chamber to be able to safely insert the IOL. It takes less time than retrieving a tube from the cabinet, opening it and putting the syringe together. It also saves money without affecting patient care or the surgical outcome.
An additional time to retrieve viscoelastic from the anterior chamber is just after the capsulorrhexis to save it for portions of a combined MIGS procedure.
- For more information:
- Alan E. Solinsky, MD, a clinical instructor in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and a surgeon at Hartford Hospital Eye Surgery Center in Newington, Connecticut, can be reached at Solinsky EyeCare, 1013 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, CT 06107; email: alansolinsky@solinskyeyecare.com.
- Katherine Campoli, CST III, Solinsky’s surgical assistant, is a certified surgical technologist at Hartford Hospital Eye Surgery Center in Newington, Connecticut.
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