EFFECTS OF HEALON VS VISCOAT ON ENDOTHELIAL-CELL COUNT AND MORPHOLOGY AFTER PHACOEMULSIFICATION AND POSTERIOR CHAMBER LENS IMPLANTATION

The endothelial cell count and several morphologic characteristics of the cells were examined before and after surgery in 56 consecutive patients (60 eyes) who underwent phacoemulsification and implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens with either Healon (30 eyes) or Viscoat (30 eyes) as the viscoelastic material. In all cases the technique was the same, including removal of the viscoelastic from the anterior chamber at the end of the operation. The mean cell loss was greater in the Viscoat group than in the Healon group (9.27% +/- 2.52% vs. 2.71% +/- 2.53%), but not significantly so. There was a significantly greater reduction in polymegathism in the Healon group than in the Viscoat group (p < 0.05). Although the results suggest that Healon has a greater protective effect on the corneal endothelium than Viscoat, the greater effort needed to remove Viscoat from the anterior chamber may have adversely affected the endothelium. Further studies in which Viscoat is left in the eye are warranted.