Complications from intraocular surgery, especially cataract surgery, represent one of the most important and common causes of blinding corneal edema and bullous keratopathy. The objective of this research project is to study the pathogenesis of the corneal edema which develops following cataract extraction. The first phase of this study will be to investigate the effect of mechanical trauma--bending and instrument abrasion--on the corneal endothelial structure and function. The second phase of this research will be to investigate the structural and functional changes in the corneal endothelium due to chemical trauma--irrigating solutions, alpha chymotrypsin, epinephrine, and acetylcholine, which are placed into the anterior chamber during cataract surgery. The third phase deals with another possible complication that might result from cataract surgery; and seeks to elucidate the effect of injection of air to the anterior chamber on endothelial function and structure. In situ studies will be performed on rabbit and monkey eyes by injection of air and drugs into the anterior chamber. These corneas will be followed by biomicroscopy, pachometry and subjected to in vitro perfusion studies. In vitro studies will be performed on isolated rabbit, monkey and human corneas perfused under the specular microscope. During the perfusion the physiological state of the corneal endothelium will be assessed by measuring changes in the following parameters: corneal thickness and metabolism, endothelial cell pattern, and endothelial permeability. These changes will then be correlated with changes in the ultrastructural appearance of the endothelial cells as studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy.