Ophthalmic Outcomes After Silicone Oil Removal

Purpose: To describe the ophthalmic outcomes and complications after silicone oil (SO) removal. Methods: This nonrandomized retrospective review comprised patients who had SO removal from January 2020 to December 2022. Data collected included patient demographics, visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), initial tamponade, indication for SO placement, duration of SO in the eye, indication for SO removal, cataract progression, rates of retinal redetachment, cornea-related complications, additional surgical interventions, and other complications. Results: The study comprised 107 eyes (mean age, 56.6 years; 67% men). The most common indications for SO tamponade were rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), RRD with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), and tractional RD. The mean SO tamponade duration was 9.3 months and was longer for patients who did not have redetachment than for those who had detachment (10 months vs 6.8 months; P = .024). The mean preoperative logMAR VA had significantly improved by the final follow-up (1.44 vs 1.19; P < .001). The mean IOP was 16.43 mm Hg preoperatively and 16.81 mm Hg at the final visit ( P = .672). Retinal redetachment occurred in 20.6% of patients, and the anatomic success rate at the final follow-up was 86.0%. A history of recurrent detachment and PVR was not associated with increased rates of postoperative redetachment. The overall rate of hypotony was 3.7% and of ocular hypertension, 7.5%. Significant cataract progression occurred in 69% of eyes. Conclusions: After SO removal, there was an overall improvement in VA and a stable IOP. Cataract progression was the most common complication. Although there is a risk for redetachment after SO removal, it may not have a detrimental effect on redetachment rates with a longer duration of SO tamponade.