Keeping your eyes open during injections.

[Catseyes235]

Does anyone have an opinion on what is used to hold your eye open during injections? I have mainly had the little cardboard clips applied but the person who did the first injection and two more used a square of papery stuff stuck over my eye and then draws it apart to hold the eye open. This latter I find far preferable and gentler while the clips are irritating. Anyone else got a preference?

[MacularAnn]

Yes it was a strange experience, I couldn’t see the second small instrument but my daughter said it was like a small black fork but for what I don’t know but it was uncomfortable.

Thanks for your reply - On the previous message the consultant referred me to my doctor.re head pain and said wet AMD doesn’t have pain but the glare could be from cataract that are present. My doctor referred me back,!

[Hidden]

Never heard of either of those methods. My lucentis and eyelea inj had a kind of plastic napkin ring with a bit that guides the needle. With the implants they used a sticky sterile drape ( which they tear to access the eye like you mention ) but then they use a metal clamp to actually hold the eye open ( except for first time when the anaesthetic inj was going low down and I had to keep my eye open myself and then they used the clamp for the implant).

I guess things evolve, inj people have their own preferences, and no doubt cost saving comes into the equation too!

[Catseyes235 in reply to Hidden]

Gosh a plastic napkin thing! So that's a third way and you have described what I called papery stuff far better than I did as sticky sterile drape, which is what I prefer as otherwise can be thinking about the irritation of the clamp rather than staring up right. Now I use calm breathing until it's done and concentrate on looking up.

[Hidden in reply to Catseyes235]

Me too, but I still find it hard to keep looking in one place!

[Catseyes235 in reply to Hidden]

I'm determined to look at a fixed spot . .only time I had real soreness and blood shot eye was when I blinked!

[StokeySue in reply to Hidden]

Never encountered any of these methods for holding the eye open

My lids are held open with metal retractors, look a bit like a cross between eyelash curlers and a small mouse trap, but don't hurt once you learn to relax into them

The self adhesive film that is put around the eye in my case does nothing to hold the eyelids - it doesn't touch them, as surely it would pull out the lashes when removed, like sticking plaster pulls out the little hairs? The film is just to provide a sterile field, as I understand it

[Hidden in reply to StokeySue]

Oh yes looks like eyelash curlers, that's what I meant by metal clamp lol

[Catseyes235 in reply to Hidden]

I've been too cowardly to look . . I thought they may be disposable card or plastic? Uncomfortable anyway but suppose it's only momentary though once I had to wait while nurse was flicking bubbles from the hypodermic . . Not great. Should never have watched that Bunuel film!

[Catseyes235 in reply to StokeySue]

The adhesive paper film goes over whole eye including eyebrow it's not stretchy and certainly doesn't pull anything when removed but the act of making a slit in centre and pulling apart is a very gentle way of holding your eye open and I do prefer it and this is the method used by head nurse practitioner.

[Hidden in reply to Catseyes235]

Not sure it would stop you blinking though......which wouldn't be good. The one time I had an anaesthetic inj & didn't have anything other than the drape both the Dr and nurse kept saying " don't blink, don't blink"! It was a longer inj than the eye drug ones though so maybe that was why. At the end of the day if you're comfortable and it's compliant with the professional guidelines then should be ok, just sounds weird to us who get something different I guess.

I have been surprised generally about the variation in the whole process between clinics and countries.