A simple emergency method for improvising a lost surgical loupe's hinge screw.

Abstract

The unexpected loss of a surgical loupe's hinge screw renders surgical loupes virtually useless, and this can have a profound effect on the performance of a tedious microsurgical procedure. The author has devised what is believed to be an extremely practical and effective method for performing an emergency repair of these glasses that utilizes common operating room suture material. This method has many distinct advantages over numerous makeshift remedies that have been attempted by surgeons over the years. To the author's knowledge, this is the first paper to appear in the literature addressing this familiar and not uncommon problem.