A viscoelastic composition for injection into a human eye comprised of about 2.0 to 2.5 percent of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose dissolved in a physiological salt solution, the composition, the composition having a viscosity from about 15,000 to about 40,000 centipoise and the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose having a molecular weight from about 220,000 to less than about 420,000 Daltons, the composition being free of debris or gels greater than 0.5 μm. Also described is a process for preparing the clean, high molecular weight hydroxy propylmethyl cellulose composition.