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case costs. He's fine with that, based on his weekly caseload, but
would a high-volume surgeon stand for spending an extra 30 to 40
minutes a week in the OR and shelling out hundreds more dollars to
cover supply expenses?
Time- and money-conscious surgeons, and those who'd prefer to
keep their suture rates down, might opt for a new wound sealant
designed to prevent wound leakage. Although with today's surgeons
making 2-point instead of 3-point incisions, the risk of leakage is
lower, according to Dr. Melendez, who believes sealant or sutures play
a small role in successful cataract outcomes.
Dr. Hoffman places a suture on the wound if he's worried about
leakage, and won't hesitate to place a suture at the slit lamp during
exams on post-op day 1, especially if the leak is significant or the
anterior chamber is shallow. He expresses concern with the sealant.
"It requires that the wound is not leaking in order to apply it," says Dr.
O P H T H A L M O L O G Y
TRIPLE CHECK Have hard stops in place to ensure
the correct lens is being implanted in the correct eye.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
