Over recent years, evolving surgical experience and the development of techniques in surgery for macular hole, macular pucker and other vitreoretinal diseases have improved anatomic and functional success rates. Today, there is common agreement by many surgeons that removal of the internal limiting membrane (ILM) is an effective and safe treatment option for conditions that involve the vitreoretinal interface.However, the ILM is a delicate and barely visible structure and its removal represents a challenge to the vitreoretinal surgeon. The introduction of vital dyes for ILM staining has led to better visibility of the ILM and epiretinal membranes, potentially making ILM peeling more controllable, easier and safer. It has opened the door, especially for the less experienced surgeon, to follow the principle of ILM removal in macular surgery. While the use of trypan blue and triamcinolone during such surgery seems to be safe, questions of the potential toxicity of indocyanine green (ICG) are currently being discussed. However, the underlying pathomechanisms are not yet completely understood. Whether the observations made on ICG-related toxicity will be sufficient to call ICG a "toxic adjunct" is currently under investigation. Further studies are required to better understand the safety margins of ICG and to investigate other vital dyes offering equal staining characteristics and a better safety profile.