Which ophthalmic scissors are used to cut delicate tissues and perform blunt dissection?

• A. Iris scissors
• B. Strabismus
• C. Westcott
• D. Castroviejo

Answer: (B)

Strabismus scissors are designed for delicate, precise work in eye surgery, with blades that are often slender and shaped to allow safe blunt dissection of thin tissues. The blunt tips help separate tissue planes without tearing or piercing underlying structures, which is exactly what you need when gently freeing or transecting small extraocular tissues.

Iris scissors have sharp tips meant for fine iris tissue, so they’re more likely to nick tissue if used for blunt dissection. Castroviejo scissors are extremely fine micro-scissors intended for precise incisions in corneal or scleral tissue, where sharp cutting is required. Westcott scissors are general-purpose and not specialized for the eye’s delicate micro-anatomy, making them less suitable for controlled blunt dissection in ophthalmic procedures.