Glycerin-Assisted Vitreoretinal Surgery in Edematous Cornea

Purpose: To describe the use of glycerin in improving media clarity in cases with edematous cornea. Methods: Retrospective case series including patients with posterior segment pathologies needing surgical invention and having corneal edema. Each case was studied for the role of topical application of glycerin instead of viscoelastic agents and the course of surgery. The cases were followed up for minimum 3 months duration. Results: Six cases with corneal edema having posterior segment pathology underwent surgery with intraoperative topical application of glycerin. The corneal edema was seen to clear with progression of surgery and was maintained until the end of surgery. Procedures such as vitreoretinal surgery, identification of break, internal limiting membrane peeling, intraocular lens explantation, scleral indentation, Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty graft removal, and subretinal band removal could be performed in these cases. Conclusion: Intraoperative glycerin use during vitreoretinal surgeries is helpful in improving the corneal clarity and maintaining it till the end of surgery.