Make the Switch to TetraVisc for all Topical Procedures
(November 2005)

“The very first day my nurses tried TetraVisc™, they told me they would never go back to the lidocaine jelly again. The thick drop in TetraVisc™ coated the eye just as well as the jelly, but easier and cleaner. They only had to place a drop or two of TetraVisc™ on the eye instead of smearing on the jelly. In the operating room I find that TetraVisc™ provides anesthesia comparable to the jelly; much better than drops alone. Intracameral supplementation is only occasionally necessary with TetraVisc™.

Since using TetraVisc™ in Laser Refractive Surgery, as our pre-laser anesthetic agent, we have practically eliminated the short-term post-op pain discomfort experienced by patients. One drop a few minutes prior to the laser treatment gives the patient excellent anesthetic; but we really notice the difference when we check the flaps 20 minutes later. Usually, by the time the patient wakes up from a nap the surface has healed, the eye is naturally comfortable, and the patient has gone through the procedure without discomfort.”

Paul Koch, MD
Warwick, RI

“We started using TetraVisc™ in the Spring of 2005. For two or three years we had used Xylocaine 2% jelly for our topical anesthesia in cataract surgery. While it worked quite well, it was very messy to administer, and of course it really wasn’t designed nor approved for use on the eyes. On the first day we tried TetraVisc™ preoperatively, my nurses were much happier. The anesthesia was as good or better than with Xylocaine, and it was much easier to use. We would never go back to any other agent for topical anesthesia. Just a few drops in the eye about 5 to 10 minutes before surgery, and we find that the majority of our cataract patients don’t even need intracameral anesthesia. More recently we have tried TetraVisc™ in conjunction with applanation A-scan biometry. My technician says the A-scans are much more quickly obtained, with more consistent readouts.”

Larry Patterson, MD
Crossville, TN

“Since we have started using TetraVisc™, we no longer need to use preoperative lidocaine jelly or other preparatory solutions. Our main reasons for switching to this solution has been the ease of instillation, as well as the rapidity of onset and the clarity of the corneal surface. We had found that lidocaine jelly was being used in an off-label fashion on the ocular surface and did not provide as clear a view through the cornea as this formulation of TetraVisc™, which is specifically formulated for the ocular surface. In the clinic, we also use TetraVisc™ prior to removal of sutures in corneal transplants. Although this is not necessarily needed in all patients, there are a large percentage of patients after transplant that have difficulty with suture removal, and TetraVisc™ seems to make this experience easier for both the surgeon and the patient.”


Y. Ralph Chu, MD
Edina, MN

“I have been using Tetravisc™ for both topical anesthesia in LASIK and clear corneal cataract surgery. I find the anesthetic effect actually more sustained than proparacaine in LASIK and lidocaine in CE IOL surgery. The normal burning/tearing effects patients get at 20-30 minutes postop in LASIK is very much reduced and in many cases eliminated now with Tetravisc™ compared to proparacaine. In cataract surgery, I find the need for intracameral lidocaine is less now with Tetravisc™ alone and the effect is equally efficacious as topical Lidocaine.”

Mitch Jackson, MD
Lake Villa, IL