Inflammatory response to viscoelastic materials.

Healon, Amvisc, or Viscoat was injected into the corneal stroma of 36 normal rabbit eyes. Twelve additional rabbit eyes were used as controls by performing a sham procedure. Twelve rabbits were euthanized at one day and the remainder seven days after injection. The eyes were enucleated and examined by light microscopy. No control eyes had detectable inflammation. Only Viscoat produced mild inflammation at seven days, but this was statistically significant only at p = 0.182. There appears to be little difference in the inflammatory response of these three viscoelastic substances.