Early Postoperative Outcomes of Phacoemulsification With Concurrent Silicone Oil Removal in a Tertiary Eye Care Hospital of Bangladesh

Purpose: Silicone oil (SO) tamponade is essential in managing complex vitreoretinal conditions but is associated with complications such as cataract formation and secondary glaucoma. Combining SO removal (SOR) with cataract surgery in a single procedure may improve patient convenience and outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the early postoperative outcomes of phacoemulsification with concurrent SOR in a tertiary eye care hospital of Bangladesh. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study was conducted at Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2023. Patients who had previous surgery due to retinal detachment (RD) or advanced diabetic eye disease with SO used as an internal tamponade with postoperative cataract formation and an attached retina, confirmed by indirect ophthalmoscopic examination or B scan, depending on media clarity, were included in the study. Phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation was performed, followed by SOR using the 23-gauge pars plana method. Postoperative follow-ups were conducted at day 1, day 7, and at least after 1 month to record visual acuity, complications, and retinal status. Result: Out of 42 patients, a majority of patients (13, 31.0%) belonged to the age group of 50-59 years with a mean age of 44.38 ± 14.4 years. The male-to-female ratio was 4:3. The primary pathology was tractional RD secondary to diabetic retinopathy in 24 eyes and rhegmatogenous RD in 18 eyes. There was an improvement in at least one-third of patients' visual acuity postoperatively as recorded by the Snellen chart. Retina was attached in 41 (97.6%) patients, while 1 (2.4%) patient had a redetached retina at the last follow-up. Conclusion: Phacoemulsification with concurrent SOR is a useful method that is associated with acceptable visual and anatomical outcomes, and it eliminates the burden for another surgery for cataract extraction.