Under-air staining of the anterior capsule using Trypan blue with a 30 G needle

Abstract

Daniele Giammaria,1 Michele Giannotti,2 Angelo Scopelliti,1 Giacomo Pellegrini,1 Bruno Giannotti11Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord, Fano, Italy; 2Catholic University of Rome, Rome, ItalyAbstract: The original technique of staining the anterior capsule of the lens with Trypan blue involves the injection of an air bubble in the anterior chamber. A drawback of this technique is the possible instability of the anterior chamber caused by the sudden exit of air when the dye is injected with the cannula through the side-port incision. Other staining techniques that use viscoelastic substances to increase the stability of the anterior chamber and to dose the injected dye have been described. The authors present an under-air staining technique of the anterior capsule using one drop of Trypan blue injected with a 30 G needle through the peripheral cornea. This procedure prevents the air bubble from escaping the anterior chamber and allows fast and selective staining of the capsule.Keywords: Trypan blue, staining technique, dye, cataract surgery, capsulorhexis