Clinical Outcomes After Silicone Oil Removal

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical outcomes after silicone oil removal, we analyzed retinal redetachment, visual acuity, and postoperative complications. METHODS: 73 consecutive eyes who underwent silicone oil removal were studied in a retrospective fashion. 41 eyes with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, 20 eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, 6 eyes with traumatic detachment, 6 eyes with high myopic macular hole were included. In addition to anatomic and visual results, associated complications were assessed. RESULTS: Anatomic success rate was 90.4% in 73 eyes. 64 eyes achieved attachment after oil injection combined vitrectomy and 8 of 64 eyes (12.5%) were redetached after oil removal. 37 eyes of the 64 eyes (57.8%) had an increase in visual acuity at least one Snellen line after oil removal. Glaucoma (21.9%), keratopathy (8.2%) and cataract (9.5%) were the complications. The mean duration of oil tamponade of detached group was 7.75 months and that of attached group was 7.14 months and there were no siginificant difference between two groups(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The duration of the silicone oil tamponade had no siginificant effect on the redetachment rate. We recommend not to apply standard criteria for timing of silicone oil removal, but to decide individually, considering underlying disease and complications.