Use of sodium hyaluronate in human IOL implantation

Intraocular lenses (IOLs) were implanted into each eye of 20 patients. In one eye of each patient, sodium hyaluronate [Healon] was used to maintain the anterior chamber and coat the corneal endothelium during surgery. Postoperative results were compared to the other eye of the 20 patients receiving IOL implants in the conventional way. Endothelial cell loss averaged 18% in the sodium hyaluronate treated eyes vs. a 54% endothelial cell loss in the control group.