Corneal endothelial cell protection with a dispersive viscoelastic material and an irrigating solution during phacoemulsification: low-cost versus expensive combination.

Purpose: To evaluate the protective effect on corneal endothelial cells of a low-cost and an expensive combination of a dispersive viscoelastic material and an irrigating solution during phacoemulsification.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Methods: This prospective randomized examiner- and patient-masked study comprised 90 eyes of 45 consecutive patients with age-related cataract in both eyes.