Protective role of Healon during lens implantation.

The use of sodium hyaluronate (Healon) presents a major new advance in facilitating lens implantation and improving safety margins during anterior segment surgery. Of 102 consecutive cases of extracapsular cataract extraction with lens implantation, 54 with the use of Healon, it was found that Healon could induce a reduction of central corneal endothelial cell loss from 29 to 17 per cent and that the only associated complication was a one-day rise of intraocular pressure.