Evaluation of the Effects of Silicone Oil on the Macula with Optical Coherence Tomography in Patients with Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

Objectives: The effects of silicone endotamponade duration on the macula were evaluated in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Materials and Methods: Sixty-five eyes of 65 cases with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment that underwent pars plana vitrectomy and silicone endotamponade were included in the study. All cases were classified in three groups according to duration of silicone tamponade: ≤3 months, 3-6 months, and ≥6 months. All cases were evaluated at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after silicone injection, just before and at 1 month after silicone removal in terms of intraretinal pathologies in the macula by using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Results: Sixteen (26.6%) of the patients were female and 49 (75.4%) were male. The mean age of the patients was 58.1±12.1 years (18-82); the mean follow-up time was 12.4±4 months (6-20). The mean duration of silicone tamponade was 6.7±2.3 months (2-12). In 26.6% of patients with ellipsoid zone/outer limiting membrane defect, a statistically significant improvement in reflectivity was detected after silicone oil removal (p=0.016). There was a significant increase in central foveal thickness after silicone removal in eyes with duration of silicone more than 3 months (p=0.003 for 3-6 months, p=0.006 for ≥6 months). The prevalence of cystoid macular edema before and after silicone removal was also significantly higher in the eyes with silicone duration of 6 months or longer (p<0.001). Conclusion: In eyes with silicone endotamponade, structural changes in the macula may differ according to the duration of silicone oil in the eye.