During
the cataract surgery, the underside of the cornea gets damaged because
of its contact with instruments, eddy currents of irrigating fluid, and
IOLs. As the cells in this region cannot re-grow, it becomes necessary
to protect the cornea. Cataract surgeons use Viscoelastics to
form a coating on the back of the cornea to shield it from any kind of
damage. The viscoelastics also inflate the interiors of the eye,
gently, making it easier to manoeuvre various instruments inside the
eye and to implant the IOLs.
Based on their physical properties,
Ophthalmic Viscoelastic agents can be categorized into two groups -
higher viscosity cohesive and lower viscosity dispersive. The higher
viscosity cohesive agents are best at creating and saving spaces while
lower viscosity dispersive are better retained in anterior chamber and
capable of partitioning spaces. DISCOVISC (OVD) is the first and only
viscous dispersive OVD, combining the key advantages of higher
viscosity cohesive and lower viscosity dispersive in a single syringe.
The surgeons at REACH routinely use viscoelastics during torsional phaco surgery.