Chapter 17 Flashcards
What suture material is nonabsorbable?
Silk.
Nonabsorbable sutures do not degrade and remain in place until removed (even permanently). NA materials are made of silk, nylon, polyprolene or polyester fibers.
What minor ophthalmic procedure is typically performed at the exam room slit lamp bio microscope?
Corneal debridement.
The procedure involves removing the corneal epithelium in patients with recurrent erosion, and it requires a topical anesthetic, sedation, sterile gauze, corneal spatula, and slit lamp for magnification.
What task is the ophthalmic tech’s responsibility when caring for a patient undergoing minor surgery?
Prepping the patient.
Prepping mainly involves cleaning the patient’s operative site with germicidal solutions while wearing sterile gloves.
A patient asks you a specific question about the outcome of surgery just before an operation; what is the best action to take?
Suggest the patient asks the doctor directly and to bring it up when they arrive.
Techs can answer questions about how patients will feel before and after, but questions about the procedure itself or it’s outcome should be deferred to the surgeon.
What suture size is most likely used for upper eyelid blepharoplasty?
6-0.
Eyelid procedures typically require 5-0 to 8-0 sutures. The larger the number denotes smaller diameter, 10-0 being used for intraocular surgery.
What would be considered a violation of a sterile operating field?
Rubbing your nose through your surgical mask.
Surgeries require some combination of sterile masks, eye protection, head covers, sterile gowns, gloves, and drapes available.
What is the most common needle point used for minor ophthalmic processes?
Reverse cutting.
A triangular needlepoint with 2 side-cutting edges and a lower-cutting edge, as opposed to an upper-cutting edge. It is used for resistant tissue.
What procedure is performed to prevent or treat angle-closure glaucoma?
Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI).
LPI create a hole in the iris to allow aqueous fluid to drain out when the normal route is blocked. This can relieve angle-closure glaucoma and prevent future angle-closure.
What is the correct order of surgical preparation for a patient undergoing eye surgery?
Add ocular surface numbing drops, add ocular surface povidone-iodine solution, prep the periorbital and eyelid skin, and then drape the patient’s face.
In lacrimal-system printing, what is a cannula used for?
To flush out a tear duct with an irrigation solution. Normal saline is irrigated through the punctum with NLD cannula, after which the surgeon either asks the patient if they have a salty taste or to blow their nose to look for fluoroscein.
Which instrument would a surgeon use to visualize and hold a chalazion for removal?
Chalazion clamp.
The clamp allows the surgeon to hold onto an area of tissue in order to prevent exposure for the procedure or to aid in hemostasis (control of bleeding).
