It will be difficult to find an ophthalmic surgeon who will gladly do his work entirely without viscoelastics. Within just a few years this group of substances has enlarged the field of ophthalmic surgery enormously. Many procedures have be come safer and simpler and other techniques could only be developed because of the availability of visco elastics. Especially cataract surgery and implantation of intraocular lenses have benefitted. Implantation of an intraocular lens can be per formed much more reliably into the capsular bag without endangering the posterior capsule. Implantation of...