Evaluation of the effect of trypan blue on the corneal endothelium in cataract surgery

Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the safety of 0.06% trypan blue applied to visualize the anterior capsule in cataract surgery. Material and Methods: This single-center, prospective, randomized controlled study included 40 eyes of 20 patients. While performing cataract surgery on the right eyes of the patients, trypan blue was not used, and these eyes were evaluated as the control group. For the left eyes, trypan blue was used during surgery. The endothelial cell density (ECD) values of the two groups were measured, recorded, and analyzed at baseline and one week and one month after surgery, and their central corneal thicknesses were evaluated at baseline and one month after surgery. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the trypan blue and control groups in terms of the first-week (p=0.852) and first-month (p=0.881) ECD values and first-month pachymetry values (p=0.218). However, the ECD and pachymetry values significantly differed in both groups at one week and one month after surgery compared to the baseline (p<0.001). Discussion: Our results showed that trypan blue injection into the anterior chamber to achieve comfortable and safe capsulorhexis in cataract surgery does not cause any adverse effects on the corneal endothelium.