Viscoelastic agents.

Viscoelastic materials possess a unique set of properties that result from their chemical structure. These properties enable them to protect the corneal endothelium and epithelium from mechanical trauma and to maintain an intraocular space, such as the anterior or vitreous chambers, even in the face of an open incision. Hence viscoelastic materials have been successfully applied to many areas of ophthalmic surgery, most notably anterior segment surgery, with few complications. There are currently three commercially available viscoelastic preparations, and several new preparations are in various stages of development.