1 Month vs. 3 Months Heavy Silicone Oil Tamponade in Complex Rhegmatogenous Retinal Redetachment

Purpose: To compare functional and anatomical results after 1- vs. 3-month heavy silicone oil (HSO) tamponade to repair complex inferior rhegmatogenous retinal detachment recurrence (Re-RRD). Methods: A retrospective, comparative, cohort study was conducted involving 46 eyes from 46 patients who were affected by complex inferior Re-RRD and had previously undergone tamponade with either gas or silicone oil. All the eyes were treated using HSO (DENSIRON®68), which was removed after 1 (Group A) or 3 months (Group B). The outcomes included the attachment rate, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and intraocular pressure (IOP), comparing these results at 3, 6, and 12 months after HSO removal. Results: Out of 46 eyes that experienced a complex inferior Re-RRD after initial surgery and received HSO, 24 were in Group A and 22 in Group B, with HSO removal after 1 and 3 months, respectively. The re-attachment rates were similar: 91.6% for Group A and 81.8% for Group B (p=0.4). In Group A a significant visual gain occurred during all follow-up (p<0.001), in Group B the significant improvement (p≤0.03) was lost at 12 months. Mean BCVA was better in Group A than B at 6 and 12 months (p≤0.02). Group B exhibited a significant increase in mean IOP after 3 months (p<0.001), consistently exceeding the values observed in Group A throughout the follow-up (p≤0.002). Macular edema occurred in 7 eyes, with no notable differences between the groups. Conclusion: A 1-month HSO endotamponade has a similar re-attachment rate but provides better visual recovery and controlled IOP than a 3-month endotamponade in complex Re-RRD with inferior involvement.