Frequency of Complications of Silicone Oil in the Surgical Treatment of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the frequency of complications of silicone oil used for internal tamponade in the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Study Design: Prospective case series.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar from January 2013 to May 2014.

Material and Methods: All those patients who were admitted with RRD with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) grade C due to myopia, pseudophakia and trauma in which silicone oil 1000 centistoke was used for internal tamponade were included in the study. Patients with fresh RD, age less than 16 years and more than 70 years and repeat surgery were excluded from the study. After taking approval from ethical research committee, data collection process was started and documentation was done according to the designed proforma including age, gender, etiology and complications. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 16 and represented in the form of charts and graphs.

Results: 300 eyes of 300 patients were included in this study in which 190 (63.33%) were males and 110 (36.67 %) were females having age range from 16 to 70 years and mean age was 40 ±5 SD. The most common cause of retinal detachment was trauma having 170 (56.66%) while the least common was aphakia having 40 (13.33%) cases. The most frequent complication was cataract formation noted in all phakic patients followed by increased intra ocular pressure present in 210 (70%) cases. Prolapse of uveal tissue through pars plana sclerotomy site was seen in 1 (0.33%) patient.

Conclusion: Silicone oil used for internal tamponade leads to cataract formation in almost all cases followed by secondary glaucoma.

Key words: Silicone oil. Retinal detachment. Trauma. Cataract. Intraocular pressure.