- Silicone oil as a vitreous substitute material has been widely used
in the management of complicated forms of retinal detachment requiring
vitrectomy such as giant retinal tears, cases complicated by PVR,
retinal detachment due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy or ocular
trauma.
- When the silicone liquid is injected into an aphakic eye or pseudophakic
eye with ruptured posterior capsule, the liquid has access to the
anterior segment and corneal complications result, probably because
access to nutrients is blocked.
- Clinical complications such as angle-closure or pupillary-block
glaucoma, inflammation and keratopathy may also be associated with
silicone oil.
- To reduce the risk of pupillary-block glaucoma and to keep the AC
free of silicone in aphakic eye:
- Avoid overfilling
- Inferior peripheral iridectomy which allows the silicone globule
to return to the vitreous cavity when the patient is prone
- Cataract may eventually develop in phakic eyes because of blocked
nutrient diffusion across the posterior lens capsule (incidence usually
6 - 18 months after surgery).
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