Trypan blue capsular staining to "find" the leading edge of a "lost" capsulorhexis

PURPOSE: To describe an effective surgical technique to visualize an obscured leading edge of a capsulorhexis. DESIGN: Prospective, interventional case series. METHODS: In six eyes of six patients in which the capsulorhexis was started but could no longer be seen during surgery, the anterior chamber was irrigated to remove all viscoelastic, and 0.3-ml trypan blue 0.06% was applied onto the anterior lens capsule to stain and visualize the leading edge of the capsulorhexis. RESULTS: In all patients, the leading edge of the capsulorhexis was quickly visualized by using the dye. No adverse reactions were observed up to 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSION: Trypan blue staining of the anterior lens capsule is an effective and apparently safe technique to "find" a "lost" capsulorhexis during surgery. (C) 2002 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.