Surgical Magnifying Loupes: “The Better To See You With My Dear”

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Surgical Magnifying Loupes: “The Better To See You With My Dear” - By: Gary Gordon, Posted on: 2008-03-26

During surgery, it is vital that the physician has both of his hands free. Operating requires the greatest in dexterity and hand – eye coordination. The hands will not be able to apply their skills, though, unless the doctor knows how to direct them. This means that his vision is extremely important during the procedure, and this is why many surgeons find the need for surgical magnifying loupes in order to better perform in the operating room. There are many different types of loupes available, and the physician's intended use for them, as well as his own visual acuity and preferences will dictate the best choice. The ability of the surgical magnifying loupes to enhance the practitioner's vision will enable him to be more accurate in his movements. This increases the likelihood of a successful procedure and a more positive prognosis for the patient.

Some doctors will not require as much magnification for their procedures. This is why surgical magnifying loupes are available with differing magnification levels. Usually these are 2.5, 3 or 3.5x . No matter which magnification level is acquired, there are many traits for which to look in order to be certain that the loupes you are ordering are going to be a help to the doctor and not a hindrance.

Many surgeons complain about bulky equipment in the operating room. Anything that is used by the doctor should be lightweight and strong, including the loupes he is wearing. Titanium is an ideal material for the loupes since it is rust-proof, strong, and has a very light feeling when worn. That is why many premium brands of eyeglasses are crafted from titanium. Even after wearing them for an extended surgical procedure of several hours, titanium surgical magnifying loupes will not feel heavy on the surgeon's face. This is important, since after a while, heavier materials can lead to fatigue on the doctor's part, and fatigue can lead to mistakes.

Besides being made of titanium, the surgical magnifying loupes should be able to adjust the space between the lens – the intrapupillary distance, as well as the declination and convergence angles. These are similar specifications for eyeglasses. The lens themselves should be high resolution for the clearest sight. They also need to enable the doctor to work at varying distances. Usually these will be short range, around 13 inches, medium range – around 16 inches – and long distance of about 19 to 20 inches. Having this breadth of ranges will give the physician the greatest use possible from his surgical magnifying loupe. In order to prevent moisture and dust from damaging the lens or the optical view, the loupes should be watertight as well. This ensures that the surgeon will not have to discard his loupe during the procedure because it was not sealed tight and sweat began to obscure his view. Watertight surgical loupes should be able to even withstand the perspiration of the most stressed of doctors.

When you find high quality surgical magnifying loupes, you can be assured that they will last for many surgeries. The longer lives these have, the more is saved in the long run. Cheap products cost more due to their rapid frequency of replacement, they can also cost more through the inconvenience of using materials which do not perform as needed. In an operating room, a mere inconvenience could become a life or death situation for the patient. That is why you should only look for the highest caliber of surgical magnifying loupes for your medical facility.

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To learn more visit our dental equipment & instruments section or read more about use of surgical magnifying loupes.