[Treatment of retinal re-detachment in eyes with intraocular silicone oil]

To describe the standardized surgical technique we used to treat recurrent retinal detachment in eyes that had been previously operated on with silicone oil.

We present 6 cases in which the following surgical steps were carried out as a standardized procedure: 1) silicone oil extraction, 2) partial introduction of perfluorcarbon liquids (PFCL), 3) extraction of epiretinal membranes, 4) endodiathermy, 5) retinotomy, 6) retinectomy, 7) complete filling of the intraocular cavity with PFCL, 8) endophotocoagulation and 9) 5,000 Cs silicone oil injection.

All the patients maintained the reattached retina. Five of them still have the silicone oil in the vitreous cavity. One patient suffered a macular epiretinal membrane. A second patient presented a macular epiretinal membrane with subfoveal PFCL as well as a relapse of the retinal re-detachment when we extracted the silicone oil during the macular surgery, so that it had to be re-introduced. All of the patients, except two who were aphakic, developed different degrees of cataracts.

The systematic use of these surgical steps can be very useful in the management of retinal detachment relapses in eyes previously treated with silicone oil injection.