Eyeworld

EW CATARACT/IOL 57 surgeons should make sure to have a number of instrument trays on hand during the day, Dr. Edelhauser rec- ommended. By having an adequate number of surgical instruments available, staff will be less likely to reuse instruments that are not prop- erly cleaned or that should not be reused, yet another common prob- lem found at centers with TASS cases. 3. Send surgical nurses and technicians to trainings to stay up- to-date with instrument cleaning and infection control protocols, Dr. Edelhauser said. Even though surgeons may attend such sessions at meetings, they are usually not the ones cleaning the instruments, he said. In addition to meeting ses- sions and specific trainings, publica- tions such as the July JCRS article or "Recommended practices for clean- ing and sterilizing intraocular surgi- cal instruments," published in the June 2007 issue of JCRS and written by ASCRS and the American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses, should be required reading, Dr. Edel- hauser said. Before the June 2007 publica- tion, not much distinction was made between the cleaning of oph- thalmic instruments and larger sur- gical instruments, such as those for abdominal surgery. "Now we can refer people to those guidelines," he said. 4. Do not use products with preservatives or additives in the anterior chamber. Considering that 52% of surgical centers had used preserved epinephrine in balanced salt solution and 37% were using other preserved medications intra- camerally, investigators shared a warning about ocular toxicity that can be caused by bisulfites. 5. Report cases of TASS if you experience them, Dr. Mamalis said. "This allows us to know what's oc- curring and put it in our database. It's also helpful to the surgeon and surgical center because we can give them tips to help improve," he said. Although no one really knows how common TASS is, Dr. Edelhauser believes surgeons are becoming more open about reporting it. "There's a freer exchange of information now, and that's positive," he said. EW Editors' note: Drs. Edelhauser and Mamalis have no financial interests related to their comments. Contact information Edelhauser: 404-778-5853, ophthfe@emory.edu Mamalis: 801-581-6585, nick.mamalis@hsc.utah.edu Offered in a range of styles 15° 20g straight MVR 2.0-mm angled crescent blade Single bevel keratomes: 2.2 to 3.2 mm Sterile; 6 blades per box OASIS ® provides eye care specialists with solution-focused products for cataract, refractive, retinal, and dry eye disease. OASIS name and logo are registered trademarks of OASIS Medical, Inc. 514 S. Vermont Ave, Glendora, CA 91741. CV1101. 800-528-9786 (USA Toll Free) OasisMedical.com 909-305-5400 (International) Introducing the Premier Edge ® Safety Knives* Designed for safety and efficiency Transparent safety guard slides fully over blade when not in use Fully retracts when blade is in use Extend, retract, and lock the guard in place with one hand M O R E T H A N Y O U E X P E C T E D | Visit ASCRS Booth #2913 * patent pending March 2011

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