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There have been several questions on both eye forums about SILICONE OIL. Because neither Dr. Kutryb no I are retinal surgeons I spoke with one of the retina surgeons in our group about recent questions.

1. Silicone oil can be left in the eye indefinitely although that isn't necessarily the recommended course. Typically most retinal specialists will try to remove oil after 4-6 months depending on how the retina looks. I have several patients that have a localized area of retinal that becomes detached under oil, for that reason I will elect to keep the oil in indifinitely due to the poor visual potential and the risk of redetachment if the oil is removed.

2. During removal it is always recommended to remove as much of the silicone oil as possible.

3. The biggest concerns with the silicone oil are corneal decompensation, migration into the anterior chamber, glaucoma and smulsification on the posterior surgace of a silicone intraocular implant (IOL).


JCH III MD
11 Responses
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Avatar universal
Hello doctor, my son has had 4 surgeries for retinal detachments and 1 to remove a cataracts. My sons eye doesn't do well with silicone oil. It has been placed in his eye and it will break up in less than 6 months after surgery. Our most recent visit was because the silicone oil emulsified and came into the anterior chamber and was noticeable to anyone who looked at him. His doctor said that this was the end of his journey and we will be letting his eye take its natural course. The doctor advised us that my sons eye will turn completely white. My question is, how long does this process take until it covers his eye completely? His eye is currently about 1/4 white (from the top to bottom) and this occurred within 2 weeks.

Note: we will be getting him fitted for a prosthetic lens once his eye has completely become white.

Thank you for any responses.
Helpful - 0
3 Comments
Sorry for such a terrible problem. Remember that his remaining eye is had much increased risk of RD and other problems so protect it from injury, and be sure he leads a healthy lifestyle to protect it from disease.  that said it usually is not necessary to wait till the cornea becomes completely white to fit a prosthesis over it. Discuss with the surgeon and a person that make eye prostheses.
Hi. Thank you for your fast response. Do you know, more less, how long his eye will take before it turns completely white? 6 months, a year, or weeks?
No there are no studies on that and each case is different no way to generalize
Avatar universal
thanks so much!
Helpful - 0
203589 tn?1267475170
yes, a ct scan and/or a FA would be used to determine problems with the ciliary body. It may not show exactly why there is something wrong, as with all other tests, but it would go a long way in ruling somethings out and thus help in making some sort of diagnosis.
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Avatar universal
Hi,
Can the CILIARY BODY be seen either on a CT SCAN or with FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHY?

Would you be able to see whether it was actually there (or not), whether it was detached, injured or covered with scar tissue?

(considering no aqueous fluid is being produced...would the reason WHY be determined by either procedure?)

Or would surgery have to be performed to find out the reason?

Please let me know.  thanks so much.
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Avatar universal
There is nothing in my records to state that an iridectomy was performed. And from what I have seen of pics online, an iridectomy is a round excision in the iris, not a huge hunk out of the iris that makes the pupil look dilated and deformed.
I must have not been clear.  Sorry.
Helpful - 0
203589 tn?1267475170
Dr. Hagan meant that the iridectomy is done to PREVENT glaucoma from occurring after silicone oil injection. Especially in those who are aphakic, the tendency for the silicone oil to cause a pupilary block is high, this would lead to an acute angle closure glaucoma attack and vision loss could be quick and irreversible.
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Avatar universal
Forgot to tell you I have silicone oil in too...I still can see out of this eye, not really well, but still can see with no lens and silicone oil.  
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Avatar universal
No there was no glaucoma, in fact...I am suffering now from hypotony, and have no aqueous fluid being produced.  I am very worried about it.
Helpful - 0
233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It may have been done intentionally called a peripheral iridectomy. Often done with intraocular surgery to prevent the iris from blocking aqueious fluid from leaving the eye (a form of pupillary block - acute glaucoma).

JCH MD
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
What would cause a cut in the Iris at the pupil during a partial vitrectomy/pars plana lensectomy to remove a cataract and re reattach a retina?
Helpful - 0
233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Please not the above information.

JCH III MD
Helpful - 0
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