PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between use of a hydrogel ocular sealant (Resure) to secure clear corneal incisions (CCIs) in cataract surgery and surgeon efficiency, patient symptomatology, and postoperative results. SETTING: Duke University Eye Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: A 1:1 matched cohort of hydrogel sealant exposure-discordant eyes of cataract surgery patients was retrospectively generated. Consecutive patients who had bilateral cataract surgery during the study period and in whom the hydrogel sealant was used to secure the CCI in only 1 of the 2 eyes were included in the study. The relationship between use of the hydrogel sealant and surgical time, 1-day postoperative foreign-body sensation, clinically noted corneal edema, and intraocular pressure (IOP) was evaluated. RESULTS: Ninety eyes of 45 patients were included in the study. One day postoperatively, no wound leak was found in any eye; the sealant was noted to be out of place in 2 (4.4%) of 45 cases. No statistically significant difference was found between sealant and non-sealant eyes in total surgical time (P = .16) or in IOP (P = .55), corneal edema (P = 1.00), or foreign-body sensation (P = .38) 1 day postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The hydrogel sealant was not observed to affect duration of surgery or 1-day postoperative IOP, corneal edema, or foreign-body sensation.