Endoilluminators: evaluation of potential retinal hazards.

The potential for retinal photic injury from exposure to endoilluminators was evaluated. The spectral irradiance for each endoilluminator configuration was weighted with the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) aphakic action spectrum. The result was compared with the threshold limit value (TLV) published by the ACGIH and a time to TLV (timeTLV) was calculated for each configuration. The calculated timeTLV ranged from 0.27 to 3.5 min, times that are significantly shorter than typical operating times. The effects of incorporating short-wavelength cutoff filters were evaluated and found to significantly increase the timeTLV. Exposure reduction techniques for use during surgery are discussed.