Fig. 5

Hypothetical intraocular thermal diffusion in vitrectomized and non-vitrectomized eyes. Red arrows indicate the stream of heat within the eye globe. Blue arrows represent the stream of cooling by the outside air. Because of thermal diffusion from the posterior to anterior chamber through the lens, the anterior vitreous cavity temperature may be lower than the posterior vitreous cavity temperature. In the vitrectomized eye, without viscous vitreous, a more convective flow may occur because of the difference in temperature between the anterior and posterior vitreous cavities, compared to the situation with viscous vitreous in the non-vitrectomized eye, in which a convective flow may not easily occur.