instrument insider
The Osher IOL Cutter From Duckworth & Kent
By Robert H. Osher, M.D.

As a surgeon, I'm often frustrated when tools don't work effectively inside the eye. In response, I've been working with Michelle Glossip, chief executive of Duckworth & Kent USA Ltd., to create surgical tool designs that improve performance. (I have no financial interest in any of these products.)

Here, I'd like to describe the features of our IOL cutter and explain how they help make surgery safer and easier.

	Micro-serrated cutting edges improve control of the IOL material during and after cutting.

Problem: Most IOL cutters have thick jaws, so it's not easy to maneuver them through a small in-cision. This can force the surgeon to traumatize or enlarge the incision.

Solution: Our design features a thin neck and tapered blades that can easily be maneuvered into the capsular bag. These cutters have no problem fitting through a small incision.

Problem: Most IOL cutters will cut silicone, but not necessarily acrylic.

Solution: Our cutters are manufactured of titanium and designed to cut efficiently through either a silicone or acrylic optic.

Problem: Most cutters have polished blades that don't provide any control of the IOL material once the IOL has been cut. There's always a danger of the material tiddly-winking or torting.

Solution: Our blades are micro-serrated perpendicular to the axis of the blades. The serrations cause the cut optic material to adhere to the blades just enough to prevent un-intended movement.

As a result of these features, this IOL cutter is very stable inside the eye, and hence very safe.

David Chang, M.D., uses the Osher IOL cutter and says he's happy to recommend it: "I've tried several kinds of cutters and definitely prefer the Osher cutters for cutting acrylic and silicone lenses. These cutters have the ability to go through a very small incision."

To further enhance safety and control when cutting an IOL, I recommend doing so under viscoelastic. For this purpose it's important to choose a viscoelastic that's viscous and creates space. I prefer to use Healon5 because it does an excellent job of stabilizing the chamber and IOL material, although I'm sure other viscoelastics could be used effectively as well.

Dr. Osher is a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Medical Director Emeritus at the Cincinnati Eye Institute in Ohio. He is founder and editor of the Video Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and a paid consultant for Pfizer. He has no financial interest in any of the Duckworth & Kent instruments that he's helped design.