Prevention of corneal opacification in open sky vitrectomy: Part I. An in vitro study.

We tested the effects of various physiologic solutions with known osmotic pressures on maintenance of corneal transparency in vitro and compared them with the effects of other solutions that exert both oncotic and osmotic pressures. Normal saline solution, 5% glucose and normal saline solution, tissue culture 199, and plasma were bathing solutions tested. Increases in hydration and endothelial cell damage for the various media were compared. We found that plasma preserved corneal dehydration and endothelial viability better than other physiologic solutions.