Use of Healon in different cataract surgery techniques: endothelial cell count study

The effect of the intracameral application of 1% sodium hyaluronate (Healon) in various cataract extraction techniques was evaluated in four groups of ten cats each whose natural lenses were removed using four different techniques. In a fifth group, the intraocular lenses (IOLs) were implanted over the crystalline lens. Each animal's right eye was treated with Healon and each left eye with balanced salt solution (BSS). Healon-treated eyes lost almost 50% fewer endothelial cells and had a smaller increase in corneal thickness than their counterpart eyes treated with BSS. Lens implantation and phacoemulsification procedures caused the greatest endothelial cell loss, while neodymium YAG laser capsulotomy, a less traumatic procedure, minimized this loss.