"...Most recently, I found myself in the unexpected position of having to use a conventional steel blade, albeit a high-quality one, to create this important (sideport) incision. I must admit that I had forgotten, and perhaps become a bit complacent about, the enormous advantage that this diamond (Fine Triamond) offers.
Each case that I used the steel blade showed significant leakage that required repeated attempts at hydration in order to achieve a truly water tight closure. Personally, I suspect that some of the recent reports of increased endophthalmitis is actually originating from leaky side-port incisions. Surgeons really need to begin to place more attention to this incision and confirm its integrity and lack of leakage.
Finally, this little blade (Fine Triamond) has found myriad other uses in my practice, ranging from graft-host junction relaxing incisions and wedge resections in keratoplasties, to delicate scleral dissections in trabeculectomies and even a rare vortex vein decompression."
Each case that I used the steel blade showed significant leakage that required repeated attempts at hydration in order to achieve a truly water tight closure. Personally, I suspect that some of the recent reports of increased endophthalmitis is actually originating from leaky side-port incisions. Surgeons really need to begin to place more attention to this incision and confirm its integrity and lack of leakage.
Finally, this little blade (Fine Triamond) has found myriad other uses in my practice, ranging from graft-host junction relaxing incisions and wedge resections in keratoplasties, to delicate scleral dissections in trabeculectomies and even a rare vortex vein decompression."
Louis D. "Skip" Nichamin M.D.