Patent ID: 6899877

Claim:
A process for preventing or inhibiting retinal hemorrhaging, retinal tears and retinal detachment in the eye of a patient caused by vitreous traction, said process comprising the steps of: introducing recombinant lysine-plasminogen, recombinant plasminogen activator and a gaseous adjuvant material into the vitreous of the eye of a patient in need thereof in an amount effective to produce plasmin in the vitreous to induce substantially complete separation of posterior hyaloid from the inner limiting membrane in said eye, without removing the vitreous from said eye, thereby inhibiting retinal hemorrhaging, retinal tears, and retinal detachment, wherein each of said components of said composition are introduced into the eye in a non-toxic amount substantially without inflammation and where said gaseous material is introduced into the vitreous in an amount sufficient to compress said vitreous against said retina while said composition induces posterior vitreous detachment.