The Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant

Book excerpt: The Basic Bookshelf for Eyecare Professionals is a series that provides fundamental and advanced material with a clinical approach to clinicians and students. A special effort was made to include information needed for the certification exams in ophthalmic and optometric assisting, as well as for surgical assistants, opticians, plus low vision, and contact lens examiners. This book contains basic guidelines and typical scenarios that the ophthalmic surgical assistant needs to know. The text begins with the operative patient, including preoperative testing and consents, and travels through the operating room experience. Topics include gowning and gloving, preparing trays and tables, and sterilization techniques. Detailed descriptions of common operative procedures such as plastics, cataract, corneal, and retinal procedures are also included. Operative notes are written on a minute-by-minute basis so the reader can become familiar with the instruments and other implements, and the order in which they are used. This text will help prepare the ophthalmic assistant for any setting, whether it be hospital or office based.