Protective Effects of Viscoelastic Substances on air Bubble Damage During Phacoemulsification.

Kim, Moon Jung; Park, Jung Won; Kang, Shin Jung; Kim, Hyung Lae; Lee, Jae Bum; Kim, Eung Kweon

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2002;43(11):2273-2279.
Published online November 1, 2002.

Protective Effects of Viscoelastic Substances on air Bubble Damage During Phacoemulsification.

Moon Jung Kim, Jung Won Park, Shin Jung Kang, Hyung Lae Kim, Jae Bum Lee, Eung Kweon Kim

¹Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. eungkkim@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
²Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Sciences, Yoonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
³Daegu Yonsei Clinic, Daegu, Korea.
⁴Bundang Yonsei Clinic, Sungnam, Korea.
⁵Department of Biochemistry, Ewha Woman's University, Seoul, Korea.

공기 방울에 의한 각막내피세포 손상 방지에 대한 점탄물질간의 차이

김문정 ( Moon Jung Kim ) , 박중원 ( Jung Won Park ) , 강신정 ( Shin Jung Kang ) , 김형래 ( Hyung Lae Kim ) , 이재범 ( Jae Bum Lee ) , 김용권 ( Eung Kweon Kim )

Abstract

PURPOSE
To determine whether viscoelastic materials are effective to protect the corneal endothelium from air bubble damage. METHODS: Human eye bank (n=12) and rabbit (n=22) eyes underwent a standardized phacoemulsification procedure with or without viscoelastic material [1% sodium hyaluronate (Healon(R)), 1.4% sodium hyaluronate (Healon GV(R)), 3% sodium hyaluronate with 4% chondroitin sulfate (Viscoat(R))]. The integrity of the endothelium was examined after the procedure with F-actin staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). RESULTS: In the phacoemulsification experiment without viscoelastic material, with Healon, and with Healon GV, the endothelium of both human and rabbit corneas had many areas of cell loss in a pattern consistent with air bubble damage. But with Viscoat, endothelial cells remained intact. CONCLUSIONS: We found that Viscoat was effective to protect the endothelium from air bubble damage. Viscoat seems to protect the endothelium by acting as a physical barrier.

Key Words: Air bubbles;Corneal endothelium;Viscoelastics