Results of high-density silicone oil as a tamponade agent in macular hole retinal detachment in patients with high myopia.

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the use of high-density silicone oil (HDSO) as a tamponade agent for retinal detachment secondary to myopic macular hole.

METHODS

12 eyes of 12 patients with macular hole retinal detachment underwent pars plana vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling and HDSO tamponade. No posturing was required postoperatively and HDSO was removed 3-4 months later. Outcome measures included macular hole closure and retinal attachment rates, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and intraoperative and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 67.8 years and the mean spherical equivalent refractive error was -13.4 diopters. After the removal of HDSO, 10 (83%) eyes had macular hole closure with retinal reattachment without any tamponade. One eye had retinal reattachment after re-operation and the other refused further surgery. At the last follow-up, the median BCVA improved from 20/800 to 20/600 (p = 0.046). A transient increase in intraocular pressure was observed in 5 (42%) eyes and one eye each developed mild oil emulsification and transient peripheral choroidal detachment. None of the eyes was found to have severe intraocular inflammation postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

HDSO seemed to be an effective tamponade agent for myopic macular hole retinal detachment. Further prospective controlled studies seem warranted.