Eyeworld Supplements

3 the eye consistently and with limited scratches and trapped haptics. Dr. Lane: Many of us have prepared the lens after it has come out onto the oc- ular surface, and the ques- tion of sterility is always an issue. Dr. Woodard: There is al- ways the possibility of con- tamination associated with delivering the IOL, whether it is from the ocular surface or from the delivery system. Obviously, we have all used many thousands of lens- es over the years, and the Monarch system (Alcon) is one of the few things that we actually reuse. When I think about safety, I also think about the possibility of the haptic being pinched by the plunger. We all have great technicians who are very good at preparing lenses, but occasionally, the trailing haptic will get caught. We have all been in the situation where we have had to manually remove the haptic because it is pinched or twice a month. In these situations, the nurses aren't comfortable with preparing the lenses, and that's where UltraSert shines. We have a great ophthalmic surgi- cal staff in our center, but there is tremendous vari- ability from one technician to another regarding who is good at loading lenses. Even in a busy ophthalmic center, this system helps re- move variability and makes the day easier for the staff and the surgeon. Dr. Woodard: There are times when I have fill-in staff because someone is sick, and a circulator, who is not as comfortable prepar- ing lenses, may be serving as a scrub tech. Just about anyone should be able to prepare this lens from start to finish in about 10 sec- onds. It takes much longer than that with the Monarch system. Dr. Lane: The idea is to keep the surgeon operat- ing. When there is nothing for us to do except twiddle our thumbs for that period of time, there is a loss of production. While it might only be 2 minutes, it seems like 2 hours, and if multi- plied by 20 cases in a day, that results in wasting 40 minutes. Dr. Woodard: It also height- ens the anxiety for patients, because they are wonder- ing what is wrong and why nothing is happening. I find myself having to coach them through the process. Dr. Lane: Many of us are choosing to use the ORA System (Alcon) to determine the IOL power. As we use the ORA System, we may decide to use a different against the wall of the cartridge. This system was designed to help limit that problem. Additionally, we have a one-handed delivery of the IOL into the eye with the plunger, so we can use the second hand to stabilize the eye. I think that is a sig- nificant improvement over our current system. Dr. Tipperman: I like the fact that the lens power and expiration date are printed on the injector. This gives the surgeon one more chance to verify that the correct lens is being implanted in the correct patient, and this can only be achieved with a preloaded lens. Dr. Lane: Another feature that speaks to confidence is the consistency of being able to deliver a lens in the same way virtually every time with the same system. I assume that your scrub nurse is putting the OVD into the cartridge. Are they then advancing it for you? Or are you advancing it to the first stop and then in- jecting it from that point? Dr. Woodard: I have the technician do it all and just hand it to me ready to go. That's the beauty of this system. It allows any techni- cian, once he or she learns the technique, to very easily hand the IOL to the surgeon ready to be implanted and be confident that it's going to be delivered in the same fashion every time. Tech- nicians find it easier to use than the Monarch system in a dimly lit room. Obviously, our technicians love it. Dr. Cibik: The experienced technicians appreciate the UltraSert system because they don't have to worry about folding the lens. Sur- geons can be confident that the lens is well-loaded, even with a less-seasoned tech. Dr. Tipperman: That's an important point. This sys- tem is ideal for someone who operates in a general community hospital and only operates on eyes once UltraSert Preloaded Delivery System with the AcrySof IQ aspheric IOL Depth guard nozzle: • Helps control insertion depth • Designed to minimize wound stretch in incisions as small as 2.2 mm Lens stop: • Protects IOL during transportation • Keeps IOL from moving during OVD injection Plunger lock: Keeps the plunger from contacting the IOL until device prep TensionGlide plunger: Spring-controlled mechanism provides smooth plunger advancement continued on page 4 Please refer to page 8 for impor tant product information about the Alcon products described in this supplement.

• Cover