Use of medical sodium hyaluronate gel in surgical removal of a glass intraocular foreign body

A 38-year-old healthy man presented to our department of ophthalmology after sustaining an ocular injury in a glass explosion more than 10 days prior. A glass intraocular foreign body (IOFB) was found in the left eye. During surgical removal of the IOFB, medical sodium hyaluronate gel was used to detach the IOFB from the retina; this avoided damage to the retina and made it easier for the surgeons to grasp the glass fragment. Multiple surgical instruments have been developed to help remove IOFBs; however, many optic hospitals have limited surgical instruments, thus increasing the difficulty of the operation. The application of sodium hyaluronate gel, a widely used agent, may be a new technique in IOFB surgery.