Trypan Blue Assisted Cataract Surgery: Assessing Ideal Contact Time with and without Air Injection and Its Effect on Endothelial Cell Count

Purpose: To know the ideal contact period for effective capsular staining with trypan blue with and without air and its effect on corneal endothelial cell count. Methods: 120 patients with mature senile cataract were enrolled for the study who underwent Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery. Anterior capsule was stained with 0.06 % trypan blue dye with air in 60 patients and without air in rest of 60 patients. Staining was kept for 5, 10 and 15 seconds in both the groups. Endothelial cell density (ECD) was measured with specular microscopy preoperatively and postoperatively on day 1 and after 6 weeks. Results: Effective staining was seen when stained without air for a minimum period of 15 seconds and that endothelial cell loss was not significant. Conclusion: Direct intracameral injection of trypan blue dye is an effective and safe method for staining the anterior lens capsule during cataract surgery.