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Combined Irrigator and Iris Rectractor for Cryosurgery
NOTES, CASES, INSTRUMENTS
Several iris retractors, designed to retract the upper iris in cryosurgery, greatly facili tate cryoextraction, particularly round-pupil extractions. In some instances, however, the iris or cornea may still inadvertently become adherent to the cryoprobe and, since the surgeon is holding the cold probe in one hand and the iris retractor in the other, he either needs a third hand or a good assistant to irrigate the adhesion loose. To cope with this situation and give the surgeon complete control, I have designed a
combined irrigator and iris retractor* (fig. 1). The instrument is essentially a flattened No. 19 needle to which has been welded an iris spatula whose widest diameter is three mm. After several trials, it was found that the best position for the needle was 3.5 mm back from the edge of the retractor so that the cryoprobe could clear it on entering the chamber. An ordinary Silastic bulb hooks on to this special retractor-irrigator and provides good leverage for holding the iris and a ready source of water or saline which can be instantly directed to any adhesion that might occur. I have found this a useful aid in my cryosurgery. 7165 Delmar Boulevard (63130)
From the Department of Ophthalmology, Wash ington University School of Medicine and the Oscar Johnson Institute.
♦Available from the Storz Instrument Company (catalog No. E763).
COMBINED IRRIGATOR AND IRIS RETRACTOR FOR CRYOSURGERY JACK HARTSTEIN,
M.D.
St. Louis, Missouri
yf**
ΤΉ«
Fig. 1 (Hartstein). The combined irrigator and iris retractor. 990
Several iris retractors, designed to retract the upper iris in cryosurgery, greatly facili tate cryoextraction, particularly round-pupil extractions. In some instances, however, the iris or cornea may still inadvertently become adherent to the cryoprobe and, since the surgeon is holding the cold probe in one hand and the iris retractor in the other, he either needs a third hand or a good assistant to irrigate the adhesion loose. To cope with this situation and give the surgeon complete control, I have designed a
combined irrigator and iris retractor* (fig. 1). The instrument is essentially a flattened No. 19 needle to which has been welded an iris spatula whose widest diameter is three mm. After several trials, it was found that the best position for the needle was 3.5 mm back from the edge of the retractor so that the cryoprobe could clear it on entering the chamber. An ordinary Silastic bulb hooks on to this special retractor-irrigator and provides good leverage for holding the iris and a ready source of water or saline which can be instantly directed to any adhesion that might occur. I have found this a useful aid in my cryosurgery. 7165 Delmar Boulevard (63130)
From the Department of Ophthalmology, Wash ington University School of Medicine and the Oscar Johnson Institute.
♦Available from the Storz Instrument Company (catalog No. E763).
COMBINED IRRIGATOR AND IRIS RETRACTOR FOR CRYOSURGERY JACK HARTSTEIN,
M.D.
St. Louis, Missouri
yf**
ΤΉ«
Fig. 1 (Hartstein). The combined irrigator and iris retractor. 990