[Use of indocyaine green staining technique for phacoemulsification in white cataract]

To evaluate the efficiency and safety of indocyaine green (ICG) staining technique using in white cataract phacoemulsification.

In a prospective clinical study, 105 eyes with white senile cataract were divided into two groups: capsular-staining group using ICG (n = 55) and noncapsular-staining group (n = 50). The time for performing the circular continuous capsulorrhexis (CCC), the number of radial tears of anterior capsule, the number of the rupture of capsular bag and the incidence of IOL in-the-bag fixation during the operation were recorded. We also measured the intraocular pressure and observed the changes of corneal endothelial cells, the anterior chamber flare and the keratic precipitation before surgery, 1 day and 3 months after surgery, respectively. The results of these two groups were compared. The quantitative results were analyzed with two-tailed student's t-test, while the qualitative results were analyzed with chi-square test.

In operations performed with ICG staining technique, the CCC could be performed more quickly, no radial tears of the anterior capsule or rupture of capsular bag occurred and all IOL could be fixed in the bag. No statistically significant difference could be detected in the occurrence of these four aforementioned changes between these two groups. None of these patients had an elevation of intraocular pressure. The anterior chamber flare, the corneal endothelial cell density, the percentage of hexagonal cells and the corneal thickness showed no statistically significant difference between these two groups before and after surgery.

Indocyaine green dye staining is a safe and useful technique in the white cataract phacoemulsification. We suggested to use ICG staining technique in the white cataract phacoemulsification.