BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of three viscoelastics of different viscosities in preventing early postoperative complications after trabeculectomy (TE) and phacotrabeculectomy (PT). METHODS: One hundred seventy-one eyes of 149 consecutive patients underwent TE or PT. In all cases, Healon, Healon GV, or Healon 5 was instilled in the anterior chamber at the beginning of surgery and left there at the end. RESULTS: Four hours postoperatively, the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) in all groups was below 13 mmHg (27.4 mmHg preoperatively) and did not rise above 13 mmHg in the first postoperative week. Postoperative IOP spikes did not occur in any group. Healon remained in the anterior chamber up to 4 days after surgery, Healon GV up to 6 days, and Healon 5 up to 9 days. Characteristic early postoperative complications of filtering procedures, such as choroidal detachment, shallow anterior chamber, iridocorneal contact, hyphema, and bleb failure, were not observed in our patients. CONCLUSION: All three viscoelastics reduced early postoperative complications with comparable efficacy and without IOP spikes.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of three viscoelastics of different viscosities in preventing early postoperative complications after trabeculectomy (TE) and phacotrabeculectomy (PT). METHODS: One hundred seventy-one eyes of 149 consecutive patients underwent TE or PT. In all cases, Healon, Healon GV, or Healon 5 was instilled in the anterior chamber at the beginning of surgery and left there at the end. RESULTS: Four hours postoperatively, the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) in all groups was below 13 mmHg (27.4 mmHg preoperatively) and did not rise above 13 mmHg in the first postoperative week. Postoperative IOP spikes did not occur in any group. Healon remained in the anterior chamber up to 4 days after surgery, Healon GV up to 6 days, and Healon 5 up to 9 days. Characteristic early postoperative complications of filtering procedures, such as choroidal detachment, shallow anterior chamber, iridocorneal contact, hyphema, and bleb failure, were not observed in our patients. CONCLUSION: All three viscoelastics reduced early postoperative complications with comparable efficacy and without IOP spikes.