Effect of a new cohesive ophthalmic viscosurgical device on corneal protection and intraocular pressure in small-incision cataract surgery

Purpose

To compare the corneal protective and intraocular pressure (IOP) effects of a new cohesive ophthalmic viscosurgical (OVD), Neocrom Cohesive (sodium hyaluronate 1.4%), with those of Healon (sodium hyaluronate 1.0%) in cataract surgery.

Setting

Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Methods

This randomized patient-masked examiner-masked study with fellow-eye comparison comprised 29 cataract surgery patients. Surgery was performed with Neocrom Cohesive in 1 eye and Healon in the other eye. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured preoperatively and 1 day and 3 months postoperatively; endothelial cell density (ECD), preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively; and IOP, preoperatively and 6 hours and 1 day postoperatively.

Results

The mean CCT change from preoperatively to postoperatively in the Neocrom Cohesive, respectively, group and Healon group was +16.0 μm ± 25.7 (SD) (P<.01) and +7.0 ± 17.1 μm (P<.05), respectively, at 1 day and −5.7 ± 10.8 μm (P<.01) and −4.7 μm ± 9.5 μm) (P<.01), respectively, at 3 months. The mean ECD change at 3 months was 8 ± 155 cells/mm² in the Neocrom Cohesive group (P = .8) and −46 ± 139 cells/mm² in the Healon group (P = .08). The mean IOP increase was +2.2 ± 3.5 mm Hg (P<.01) and +1.4 ± 4.2 mm Hg (P = .14), respectively, 6 hours postoperatively and +0.9 ± 4.3 mm Hg (P = .37) and 0.0 ± 3.5 mm Hg (P = .77), respectively, at 1 day.

Conclusion

There was no significant difference between Neocrom Cohesive and Healon in the changes in CCT, ECD, and IOP after cataract surgery.