Capsule staining technique keeps trypan blue under control

NEW ORLEANS — A new technique for staining the anterior capsule with trypan blue helps to prevent the dispersion of the stain throughout the anterior chamber and into the posterior chamber, according to a presenter here.

Robert H. Osher, MD, described the technique at a session on cataract innovations at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.

In the technique, the anterior chamber is first filled with viscoelastic, Dr. Osher said. Then a monolayer of saline solution is injected under the viscoelastic just anterior to the lens capsule. The trypan blue can then be injected through a cannula past the viscoelastic and into the monolayer of saline to stain the anterior capsule.

Dr. Osher noted that, using this method, the stain is contained in the small monolayer in front of the lens without spreading to other areas of the eye. The viscoelastic keeps the stain away from the corneal endothelium, and the technique also prevents the stain from reaching the vitreous cavity where it might interfere with the red reflex, he said.

He noted that trypan blue is not available commercially in the United States, but it can be prepared by a pharmacy.