The ability of the blade to cut well. Other eye surgeons said they were appalled by the practice of reusing surgical blades and believe the LaserVue case is rare among eye clinics. The concept of not sterilizing is something that is a very basic principle of surgery. The potential for disease transmission is huge. Most clinics discard the microkeratome blades after performing laser surgery on a single patient, Kawesch said.
Most eye surgeons use ethylene oxide gas or steam to sterilize blades.
Manufacturers recommend in their literature that blades be used only once, then thrown out, according to Dr. Hamid Sajjadi, who performs laser eye surgeries at the Ellis Eye Center and Silicon Valley Eye Laser Center. Although diseases are more commonly transmitted through blood, there is evidence they can spread through contact with tears and other conjunctival tissue, said Dr. Jon Rosenberg, medical epidemiologist with the state health department. The first patients began receiving their letters earlier this month, and many remain in a state of disbelief. I don't know anybody who would put themselves through that. All Rights Reserved.