ABSTRACT
Viscoelastic substance which is one of the most important thing in anterior segment surgery sells many kinds as to its unique properties. The complications during its use are acute postoperative intraocular pressure elevation, corneal edema, severe ocular pain, blurred vision. The extent of elevation, peak time and normalized time of intraocular pressure can be varied by operative technique, amount of residual viscoelastics in anterior chamber, kinds of viscoelastics. To compare the safety of Healon GV and Provisc with Healon, we injected the same amount of those three viscoelastics into anterior chamber of 27 rabbits divided by three groups and examined the degree and change of intraocular pressure elevation, corneal edema, intraocular inflammation, maintenance of anterior chamber. Healon GV showed the persistent intraocular pressure elevation immediately after injection and normalized at 24 hours. Healon and Provisc showed elevated pressure at 7 and 5 hour but normalized within 12 hour. Corneal thickness increased significantly at 1 to 7 hour in Healon and Healon GV group and continued to 24 hour in Healon GV group and there was no significant pressure change in Provisc group compared with preinjection status. There were no significant differences in intraocular inflammation, amintenance of anterior chamber between three viscoelastics. Healon GV shoed more frequent, higher intraocular pressure elevation as compared to the other two viscoelastics, but pressure was normalized within 24 hour. From the above results, it is concluded that Healon GV can be used well with caution and Provisc can be used widespreadly due to its minor complication, too.