Author: Sushma

Internship diaries – Cleanest cataract

Cataract surgery is the most common eye surgery to be performed by an ophthalmologist.

I have seen many cataract surgeries operated by various doctors. I have also read about it extensively and understand the postoperative symptoms well. The important part of examining a post-operative patient on day one is their vision, pressure, anterior and posterior segment evaluation. On slit-lamp examination patients usually have mild congestion in the conjunctiva, corneal oedema and watering. Their symptoms reduce and the vision clears up by the end of 1 week most of the time. 

The thought of an ideal cataract post-operative day changed when I came across a patient at another branch of the hospital I worked at. I expected to find similar symptoms and complaints from the patient but I did not find any signs of inflammation.  I rechecked the patient’s records to confirm the cataract surgery was performed otherwise I couldn’t believe it.  The cornea consultant there performed surgery using a scleral incision due to which the cornea is not touched at all. Until that day I used to think I knew all about cataracts but this doctor showed how beautiful a cataract surgery can be! The patient did not have any complaints or symptoms at all! 

When I need cataract surgery I would find a doctor like her! That’s how much I loved it. 

For another interesting internship diaries click on Lacrimal syringing-the worst nightmare of the interns

Lacrimal syringing- the worst nightmare of the interns

Being an intern, it was very important for us to learn lacrimal syringing in the optometry community. I have always been afraid of the mere thought of me holding a syringe. But a day came when I had to perform it. It was in community ophthalmology OPD, where most of the patients come for cataract surgery. It is mandatory to perform syringing for these patients before surgery. Read More

Internship diaries – Troubled emotions

I was always a curious and hyperactive intern during the internship. Especially, I was intrigued by patients who needed multiple diagnostic procedures and got worried if something went wrong. One fine day a 13- year old girl with an autoimmune disorder came for an eye checkup. I performed an Amsler grid assessment and found that there was asymmetry in the squares on both sides. Her mother started crying. The girl questioned her mother “Amma, can I be cured or Is it a serious condition? ”

I did not know what to answer, and suddenly I started crying by looking at the situation. I tried to control my emotions and finished the workup. After the OPD, I met my seniors and discussed the situation. After speaking to them about their experiences in similar situations I felt better. Since then, I have attended numerous patients, but I still get tears in my eyes when I remember the girl’s emotions and mother’s pain.

Treating patients and watching them smile is still the happiest moment of being in eye care. 

I am happy to share optometry internship experiences through this platform.

Thank you.

Bhuvana kalyani choday.

For another internship story

Internship diaries- To dilate or not to?

Internship diaries- To dilate or not to?

This is the story from when I was posted in the most hectic Out Patient Department (OPD) of the hospital, RETINA. Since we have different departments with different expertise, we send patients from one department to another for opinion. This is the phase where we were always confused about whether to dilate or not to dilate.

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Internship diaries – Thinking out of the box

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Internship diaries – A Missed Spasm

I did my clinical internship at a tertiary hospital, which had many branches. I was posted in the city centre, which unlike a tertiary hospital is smaller and has lesser specialities. There I had come across a patient, 24-year-old female, who complained of severe eye strain, frequent change in spectacles and watering from both eyes for a while.  After the history taking and Visual acuity examinations, I started doing retinoscopy and to my surprise, I found a variable reflex, to anyone who knows retinoscopy knows how rare it is to find a variable reflex.  I tried doing it multiple times with multiple lenses and different distances, and I knew it was an accommodating reflex. I was so excited I asked my colleagues to have a look at it as well. After performing the subjective refraction I gave a tentative diagnosis of accommodative spasm, which requires cycloplegic refraction.  Read More