The role of 1% sodium hyaluronate in treating vitreous incarceration with the neodymium:YAG laser in patients with corneal decompensation.

Thirty-three patients who had corneal damage from the original corneal surgery and incomplete vitrectomy and who had a vitreous incarceration were divided into two groups. In one group, Nd:YAG laser therapy was performed without using a viscoelastic material in the anterior chamber. In the other group, the anterior chamber was filled with 1% sodium hyaluronate (Healon). Postoperative corneal complications were reduced in the group whose anterior chamber had been cushioned. Preoperatively present uveitis cleared upon severing the vitreous incarceration and cystoid macular edema improved in all cases except two in which the cornea decompensated six weeks and six months after the YAG intervention.