Retinal redetachment after silicone oil removal: a risk factor analysis.

Purpose: To report the rate of retinal redetachment after silicone oil removal following rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery and to determine potential risk factors.

Methods: Retrospective observational case series of 161 eyes who underwent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery and subsequent silicone oil removal. Pre- and intraoperative risk factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. We also evaluated the effect of tamponade duration on anatomical outcomes.

Results: The median tamponade duration was 5.9 [4.3;7.6] months. Seventeen (10.6%) eyes underwent silicone oil removal within 3 months of surgery, with a median delay of 2.3 [2.0;2.8] months. The rate of retinal detachment after silicone oil removal was 14.9%. A history of previous unsuccessful surgery was the only significant risk factor for retinal redetachment after silicone oil removal (OR 4.8, 95%CI [1.5;19.0], p = 0.02). The use of 360° laser retinopexy and concomitant air or gas tamponade during silicone oil removal were not found to affect the redetachment rate. Eyes with silicone oil tamponade ≤ 3 months showed an increased, albeit not significant, risk of developing recurrent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after silicone oil removal (35.3% versus 12.5%, p = 0.06).

Conclusion: A retinal redetachment occurred in 14.9% of eyes undergoing silicone oil removal following rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery. Previous failed surgery was associated with a 4.8-fold increased risk of developing recurrent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after silicone oil removal. Eyes with silicone oil tamponade ≤ 3 months tended to have a higher redetachment rate.

Trial Registration Number: ID NCT05647928 (12th April 2022).