Incision & Drainage of Lower Lid Chalazion

This is Richard Allen at the University of Iowa. This video demonstrates incision and drainage of a right lower lid chalazion. The chalazion is palpated and is noted to be internal.  The area is then marked.  The area is marked because subsequent infiltration with local anesthetic can sometimes make the chalazion difficult to palpate.  The area is infiltrated with local anesthetic.  The area is then prepped with betadine.  A chalazion clamp is placed over the area.  This will be drained from the inside of the eyelid.  The eyelid is everted and an 11 blade is used to make a vertical incision through the conjunctiva parallel to the orientation of the meibomian glands.  The chalazion curette is used to gently scrape the inside of the chalazion.  Some of this material could be sent to the pathologist if there were a question regarding the diagnosis.  If this were a recurrence, Westcott scissors could be used to excise some of the capsule and send it to the pathologist.  I am usually pretty vigorous with regards to scraping the inside of the lesion.  The clamp is then removed.  The area is inspected and antibiotic ointment is placed into the eye.  The patient follows up as needed.