Giant tears, other factors influence outcomes with silicone oil

WAHUN, China — Poor preoperative vision and other risk factors can be clues to possible unfavorable outcomes with silicone oil use in retinal surgery, according to a study here.

When treating giant retinal tears or recurrent retinal detachments with silicone oil tamponade, surgeons must be aware of the higher possibility of unfavorable results, the study authors warn. Unfavorable results may be more likely when the initial vision is less than ambulatory.

Researchers here at Tongji Medical College and in Germany retrospectively reviewed charts of 94 eyes that underwent silicone oil removal. Follow-up was at least 6 months. Nineteen eyes had recurrent retinal detachment, and in 30 eyes the vision deteriorated after removal of the oil. Less than ambulatory initial vision, initial pathology of giant retinal tears and recurrent retinal detachment, postoperative hypotony and postop epiretinal membrane occurred more frequently in eyes with recurrent retinal detachment.

The study is published in the December issue of European Journal of Ophthalmology.