Pro-ophta Lancet Sponges are made of highly absorbent polyvinyl alcohol and can absorb up to 15 times their own weight in fluids

. Their use in trabeculectomy, for example, is now well established. Pro-ophta Lancet Sponges are also excellent aids in cases where complications arise,

such as suspected vitreous humour leak during vitrectomy. The material is very low-linting and biocompatible, and minimises foreign body sensation in the eye. Users can also take advantage of the Pro-ophta Lancet Sponges’ high absorption capacity to apply pharmaceuticals to the conjunctiva precisely where needed, by simply cutting off the front part of the traingular swab. The swab is saturated with the selected medicine and the medicine applied precisely where required. After about a minute of exposure to the medicine, the swab is removed. Use of Pro-ophta Lancet Sponges has also become established in microsurgical procedures outside ophthalmology.