Liquid silicone in the treatment of retinal detachment.

Liquid silicone was used in the surgical treatment of 46 eyes with complex retinal detachment. Forty-six eyes have been followed up for at least 6 months. In 27 of these eyes (58.7%) the retina was totally or partially attached at the 6-month follow-up. Visual improvement was found in 20 of the 46 eyes (43.5%). These results are encouraging considering the poor prognosis of the operated eyes. There were few severe complications during an observation time of 6 months. Liquid silicone was found to be a valuable help in the surgical treatment of severe forms of retinal detachment.