![]() If a silicone lens implant is in the eye, the silicone oil may adhere to the lens implant and impair vision. Rarely, silicone oil may cause glaucoma (high pressure in the eye that can result in loss of vision if left untreated). The most common side-effect with silicone oil is cataract formation. What complications are associated with silicone oil?Īlthough silicone oil may be the only way to successfully repair difficult retinal detachments, complications may occur. When silicone oil is retained long-term inside the eye, periodic evaluation is needed to identify and treat late complications. Although this situation is not desirable, it may be necessary to retain silicone oil in the eye to preserve limited vision and keep the eye from shrinking and becoming deformed and/or painful from advanced scar tissue formation. In severe cases of retinal detachment, the only way to keep the retina attached is by leaving silicone oil in the eye permanently. The average duration of silicone oil retention in the eye is 3-4 months however, some surgeons prefer to leave silicone in place for one year after repair of retinal detachment associated with scar tissue ( proliferative vitreoretinopathy). How long before surgical removal of silicone largely depends on the nature of the retinal detachment. ![]() Silicone oil may be left inside the eye for weeks, months, or years after surgical repair of retinal detachment. How long is silicone oil left in the eye? The only way to remove silicone oil is with surgery in the operating room. As long as gas or silicone is in the eye, the vision is poor. ![]() Air travel is another reason silicone oil may be used over gas tamponade there are no restrictions on air travel with silicone oil as there are with gas. Head positioning is much less critical for success with silicone oil as compared to gas tamponade. Silicone oil may also be used when a patient cannot stay in proper position, as is often required after retinal detachment surgery for proper healing with pneumatic retinopexy (gas injection). The long duration of effect with silicone oil makes it helpful when treating retinal detachments with inferior retinal breaks and with proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Silicone oil remains in the eye until it is removed with surgery in the operating room it does not dissolve in the fluids of the eye. Although gas has a higher surface tension with better ability to close retinal breaks, gas bubbles dissolve in the fluids of the eye and disappear over a period of days (air) to weeks (SF6 and C3F8). Silicone oil may be used instead of a gas bubble ( pneumatic retinopexy) for longer duration of action. However, the effect of gas bubbles is temporary. Various gas bubbles (air, SF6, or C3F8) are most frequently used hold the retina in position for healing after vitrectomy for retinal detachment repair. What are the advantages and disadvantages of silicone vs. Depending on the characteristics of a retinal detachment, during vitrectomy surgery silicone oil or gas may be used to hold the retina in place. This is different from scleral buckle surgery in which the eye wall in indented to push it against the retina from the outside. It works by pushing and holding the retina in position from the inside. Silicone oil is injected into the eye during vitrectomy surgery to hold the retina in place against the eye wall. How is silicone oil used to repair retinal detachment? Similarly, when the retina detaches the eye loses vision. When this occurs, a camera cannot take a picture. Instead, it is like film that has unrolled inside a camera. When the retina detaches, it is no longer in proper position inside the eye. In the eye, light is focused onto the retina, which “takes the picture” and sends the image to the brain. The retina is a “tissue-paper” thin layer of nerve tissue, which lines the inside of the eye like the film in a camera. See Anatomy of the Eye What is the retina?
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