Severe Corneal Complications Associated With Corneal Lubricant Used During Surgery

Purpose:To present a series of cases of corneal chemical burns associated with the use of likely improperly buffered corneal lubricant gel, Goniovisc, during uncomplicated, posterior segment surgery.Methods:Cases of postoperative corneal complications following surgeries in which Goniovisc was used were collected from 6 retina practices across the United States between January and August 2016. The preoperative diagnosis, type of procedure, postoperative day 1 corneal findings, treatment method, and time to resolution of the corneal irregularity were recorded. pH testing of Goniovisc lots from this time period was performed using Hydrion litmus paper.Results:A total of 157 eyes of 156 patients were found to have corneal complications following relatively simple posterior segment surgeries in which Goniovisc was used. Findings included one or more of the following: corneal epithelial defect (84% of cases), Descemet folds (34%), stromal edema (14%), and superficial punctate keratitis (3%). Time to resolution...