Squeezy Eye

On Fridays, my current surgery day, a fly on the wall would hear me say “don’t squeeze!” over and over again. Sometimes it seems as though I’ve forgotten how to say anything else!

Most of my surgeries are cataract surgeries, and I typically do not use any stitches during surgery. The incisions are “self-sealing,” but this is only true to a certain point. If there is enough pressure placed on the eyeball, the incisions will open up and complications can ensue.

Frequently, we worry about pressure from eye rubbing and admonish patients to be very gentle dabbing after placing eye drops. However, as is likely obvious at this point, I also worry about pressure on the eye caused by a patient squeezing the lids. So, don’t squeeze!