Corneal effects of intraocular air.

To resolve the apparent contradiction between Norn's work on human eyes suggesting that postoperative air protects the corneal endothelium and the work of Leibowitz on excised animal eyes suggesting that air damages the corneal endothelium, we have replicated Norn's findings in an animal model similar to that used by Leibowitz. Since fewer metabolically active cells may maintain corneal deturgesence even after cell loss we do not believe that Norn's work contradicts that of Leibowitz. We find that the eyes treated with air have significantly less corneal swelling.