The use of Eastman 910 monomer as an adhesive in ocular surgery. I. Biologic effects on ocular tissues.

Abstract

Recent advances in ocular surgery have been due not only to the development of new techniques but also to the use of newly synthesized materials. Examples of such substances are polyethylene, silicone and the acrylic plastics. These materials, originally intended for industrial purposes, have found wide usage in surgery. Synthetic adhesives belong to a chemical group which has become increasingly im­ portant industrially but, as yet, has not been widely investigated for biologic application. Although the potential usefulness of ad­ hesives in surgery are apparent, previous materials of this type were impractical for several reasons. Most were ineffective on moist surfaces, such as those of living tis­ sue. Many were chemically noxious. Almost all depended for their action either on heat­ ing or the addition of toxic chemicals as solvents or catalysts. These facts were made clear when a series of such substances was investigated by one of us (S.B.) during the past three years.