Extrusion and infection incidence in scleral buckling surgery with the use of silicone sponge: to soak or not to soak? An 11-year retrospective analysis.

PURPOSE

To assess the incidence of extrusion and infections of encircling silicone sponges in scleral buckling surgery for retinal detachment with and without the use of an intraoperative antibiotic soaking procedure.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective analysis reviewing the charts of 1127 patients who underwent episcleral buckling surgery operated by the same surgeon in three different institutions during a period of 11 years. The authors reviewed the charts of patients treated with a single episcleral silicone sponge (Labtician) indentation in three different models. The infection prophylaxis on the operating field was the same in all cases and only since February 1997 was the silicone sponge preoperatively treated with an antibiotic soaking procedure.

RESULTS

No immediate postoperative infections were reported in the operated eyes. Three eyes had an implant extrusion and in all these cases silicone sponge removal was performed. All three extrusion cases developed when sponge soaking was not adopted.

CONCLUSIONS

The data indicate that the soaking procedure does not decrease extrusion and infection incidence in scleral buckling surgery when both accurate surgical technique and disinfection prophylaxis are performed.