With almost 2 million cataract surgeries performed every year, cataract surgery is the most common outpatient surgery in the United States.
Cataract surgery requires a clear hydrogel to be injected into the eye to protect the cornea and to keep the eye inflated. Once the lens is replaced, the gel must be completely removed or the patient can suffer increased eye pressure or pain and the potential of long-term vision loss.
Researchers at the Wilmer Eye Institute have created a clear hydrogel that turns fluorescent green under blue light. This color change allows surgeons to confirm that they have removed all of the hydrogel. The gel works by remaining clear so that the surgeon is able to clearly view the eye while operating. Once the surgery is complete, the surgeon switches the normal operating light to a blue light and the gel can be easily seen as a glowing green substance. An even better scenario is that new, digital microscopes can highlight the gel without the necessity of having a blue light. The surgeon is able to easily tell when all of the green gel has been removed successfully.
Currently, the gel has only been tested in swine so the gel still faces human clinical trials to determine safety and efficacy
