https://youtu.be/mR_ukTM71fM

1. Clean your paperclips

• Find two paperclips, preferably the ones without ridges on them.
• Wipe them down with an alcohol wipe and inspect for metal shavings or sharp edges.

2. Bend the paperclips

• Open up each paperclip so that it lays flat.

• Bend one end over your finger to create a hook out of the looped end.

3. Numb your patient’s eye

• Use proparacaine or tetracaine to numb the eye before using the retractors.
  • Even if the eye is very swollen, you can usually get a drop or two of anesthetic into the medial or lateral canthus.

4. Insert the retractors and examine

• Pull down on the patient’s lower lid with your finger.
• Insert the hooked paperclip between the globe and the eyelid.
  • Do the same thing for the upper lid

• Have an assistant hold the eye open with the paperclips while you examine the eye.

References