title: The use of ophthalmic viscosurgical devices during donor's corneal harvesting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the protective effect of Biolon (sodium-hyaluronate 1%) use on corneal endothelium, during donor's corneal harvesting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, randomized, double blind, comparative study was performed on 120 corneas donated from 60 donors. One cornea from each donor (n = 60) was harvested using intracameral injection of ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD), and the fellow cornea with no use of OVD (n = 60, control group). Endothelial cell density (ECD) values were obtained at the center of each corneal graft with a specular microscope one day after harvesting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ECD in the OVD group were 2839 ± 412.5 cells/mm(2) and in the control group 2748 ± 429.7 cells/mm(2). (p = 0.03). Distribution curve of the difference in ECD between the OVD and no OVD eyes showed that 47% of the donors had > 100 cells/mm2 difference, and 32% of donors had >200 cells/mm(2) difference in favor of the OVD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intracameral OVD injection during corneal graft harvesting may protect the endothelium from the mechanical damage induced during the procedure. Further investigation is needed before routine the use of intracameral OVD should be considered in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Rabin medical Center, Petah-Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Elite
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bor
authors.forename: Dan H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Bourla
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaiserman
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: Irit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bahar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002452:Cell Count; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D055675:Viscosupplements / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055675:Viscosupplements; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid