Purpose
To evaluate anatomical and functional outcomes after silicone oil extraction in patients with retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy in an eye care referral center in Joinville, SC, southern Brazil.
Methods
Retrospective, noncomparative study of patients with retinal detachment and grade C posterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy followed up after silicone oil removal. Prophylactic 360-degree peripheral laser photocoagulation was performed one to three months before silicone oil extraction. Patients with cataract underwent a combined clear corneal phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation in the same procedure. Anatomical outcomes were related to the duration of silicone oil tamponade and the surgical procedure performed. Functional outcomes were divided into three categories (stability, worsening, or improvement) according to visual acuity variation before the surgery and at the last follow-up visit.
Results
Fifty-three patients were followed up for a mean period of 1,262 days. Fourteen eyes (26.4%) underwent cataract surgery combined with silicone oil extraction. Forty-eight eyes (90.5%) had attached retina at the last follow-up visit. Time of intraocular tamponade and association of phacoemulsification with silicone oil extraction were not considered as risk factors for retinal redetachment. Twenty-three cases (43.4%) showed visual acuity improvement, whereas 11 cases (20.8%) were stable and 19 cases (35.8%) showed visual acuity worsening. Five patients with attached retina had unexplained optic disc atrophy.
Conclusions
Most patients had good anatomical and visual outcomes with silicone oil extraction. Prophylactic 360-degree laser retinopexy may have led to favorable outcomes. Benefits of silicone oil extraction must be compared with its extended duration in the eye and the risk of complications due to a new surgical procedure.
Keywords: 697 retinal detachment •
764 vitreous substitutes