Delayed Sustained Increase in Intraocular Pressure Secondary to the Use of Polyacrylamide Gel (Orcolon) in the Anterior Chamber

Orcolon, a new viscoelastic substance, was withdrawn from the market in the United States by the manufacturer (Optical Radiation Corporation [ORC], Azusa, Calif) because of reports of delayed sustained increases in intraocular pressure (IOP) observed in patients who had undergone anterior segment surgery involving the use of this product. We examined the charts of 118 cases of anterior segment surgery involving Orcolon at our institution and found delayed IOP spikes in 20 of the 116 cases that had at least 3 months of follow up. Procedures included cataract extraction, penetrating keratoplasty, secondary intraocular lens implantation, and glaucoma surgery. Response to maximal medical therapy was poor; 11 patients underwent procedures for IOP control, an additional 4 required new or increased medications, and 3 developed persistent iritis, which required steroids. Four patients lost two or more lines of Snellen line chart visual acuity, and one went from counts fingers to light perception. The cause may be related to the presence of small particles of viscoelastic, which could lead to decreased aqueous outflow, particularly in eyes with an already compromised trabecular meshwork.