Surgical Applications and Complications

December, 2003 DOS Times Vol.9, No.6 Background Viscoelastic substances are solutions with dual properties; they act as viscous liquids as well as elastic solids or gels. The ideal viscoelastic substance in ophthalmology should be viscous enough to prevent collapse of the anterior chamber at rest, yet liquid enough to be injected precisely through a small cannula. It should be elastic or shock absorbing and should enhance coating yet has minimal surface activity. It should be cohesive enough to be removed easily from the anterior chamber but not so cohesive that it is aspirated during irrigation and aspiration, which would provide no protection to endothelial cells during surgical manipulations. It should be eliminated from the eye in the postoperative period without any effect on intraocular pressure. Viscosurgery was a term coined by Balazs to describe the use of these solutions that had viscous, elastic and pseudo plastic properties during and after surgical procedures. During viscosurgery, viscoelastic substances are used as a fluid or a soft surgical instrument. Ophthalmic Viscosurgical Devices and Anterior Segment Surgery: Surgical Applications and Complications