Adhesive retention of sodium hyaluronate ophthalmic viscosurgical devices in an acrylic tube model and in porcine-eye corneal endothelium with different irrigation rates.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of irrigation rates on the adhesive retention of sodium hyaluronate ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs) by observation in an acrylic tube system designed to model the epithelial wall and in a porcine-eye experiment.


METHODS
Kohseichuo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.


METHODS
Commercial sodium hyaluronate OVDs differing in molecular weight were visualized with fluorescein powder. Their adhesive and kinetic characteristics at 2 irrigation rates were visually observed in the acrylic tube model and in a porcine eye under phacoemulsification and aspiration.


RESULTS
In the acrylic tube model, the mean retention time of the low-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate increased from 2.3 seconds under 78 mL/min irrigation to 27.9 seconds under 45 mL/min irrigation. In the porcine eye, phacoemulsification retention of the same OVD on the corneal endothelial cells was also longer under the low irrigation rate of a 2.2 mm incision than under the higher rate of a 3.5 mm incision.


CONCLUSIONS
The stable retention of low-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate in the acrylic tube model at the low irrigation rate corresponded closely with that observed in the porcine eye. This indicates that low-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate with the low irrigation rates used in procedures such as microincision cataract surgery may effectively protect corneal endothelial cells against surgical risks.
Tanaka
Takao
T
Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo Medical University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. takaoeye@k4.dion.ne.jp
Kimura
Keisuke
K
Usui
Masahiko
M
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000378:metabolism*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011485:Protein Binding; D013552:Swine; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods; D055675:Viscosupplements / Q000378:metabolism*
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D004396:Coloring Agents; D055675:Viscosupplements; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid