Sharps injuries in cataract surgery: safety and efficacy of the hands-free technique

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the change in rates of sharps injuries in cataract surgery and the effect of the hands-free technique for instrument transfer. METHODS: Comparative, retrospective analysis of 7723 cataract surgeries performed over a 21-month period at a multi-surgeon center. In the last 12 months, sharp instruments were passed using the hands-free technique. RESULTS: After the use of the hands-free technique, the rate of sharps injuries (incidents/1000 cases) decreased by a factor of 7, from 1.72 to 0.24 (P < .005; 95% CI). The rate of posterior capsular rupture (PCR) remained 1% during the 21-month period (P = .23). CONCLUSION: Use of the hands-free technique resulted in a 7-fold reduction in the rate of sharps injuries during cataract surgery. Adoption of the technique did not affect rates of PCR.