Opthalmology

For my opthalmology elective, we finished with a dissection and practicum session. It was a lot of fun. We dissected sheep's eyes, going through the motions of taking out the lens in the fashion of old cataracts procedures. It was the first time I'd ever done microdissection. The tools were really nifty. The microscope was controlled by foot levers, allowing you to move it around, focus, and zoom. We used actual surgical tools which were highly complicated. I don't think I'm particularly proficient. It took a while to get a feel for the tools and the movements necessary to make incisions or extract a lens. The professor and a resident were both incredibly helpful and encouraging. We then sutured up the incision, which was definitely the hardest part of the procedure. Everything was so small it was difficult getting the sutures through the tissues and pulling the thread through. All in all, I learned a lot. I didn't realize I'd like microsurgery so much, though I am painfully aware of how lacking I am in skill.

For the practicum, we learned to use our opthalmoscopes to visualize the retina and the slit lamps. It was tough. It was the first time the first years had ever picked up an opthalmoscope, so we really didn't know what we were doing. But with some eye dilation and trial and error, we managed to learn a little about the equipment used in the eye exam.