Comparative quantification of ingress of trypan blue into the anterior chamber after microcoaxial, standard coaxial, and bimanual phacoemulsification - Randomized clinical trial

PURPOSE: To compare ocular surface fluid ingress into the anterior chamber at the end of microcoaxial, standard coaxial, and bimanual phacoemulsification using trypan blue as the quantifying tracer. SETTING: Iladevi Cataract and IOL Research Centre, Ahmedabad, India. METHODS: This prospective randomized observational study comprised 180 consecutive patients who had microcoaxial, standard coaxial, or bimanual phacoemulsification. Trypan blue was applied over the conjunctival surface, and the amount of ingress was assessed after cortex removal (time point 1) and at the end of the surgery after intraocular lens insertion and stromal hydration (time point 2). Logs of dilution were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: At time point 1, a statistically significant difference was observed in the ingress of trypan blue in the aqueous aspirate. The bimanual group had the highest ingress and the microcoaxial group, the lowest. The amount of ingress in the standard coaxial group fell between the other 2 groups (P <.001). At time point 2, there was no statistically significant difference between the microcoaxial group and the standard coaxial group (P = 1.00); however, in the bimanual group, trypan blue ingress was statistically significantly higher than in the other 2 groups (P <.001). CONCLUSION: At both time points, trypan blue ingress was statistically significantly higher in the bimanual group than in the standard coaxial and microcoaxial groups. At time point 2, there was no statistically significant difference between the standard coaxial and microcoaxial groups.