[Heavy silicone oil endotamponade--a useful alternative to conventional endotamponade]

Retinal surgery of retinal detachment in the inferior part of the eye is often complicated by the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Therefore the heavier-than-water concept using heavy silicone oils is a logical consequence for treatment of otherwise unsuccessful retinal surgery in such cases. While some surgeons already use heavy silicone oils in the clinical routine, others are carefully following complication rates. Even good anatomical and functional results are published as critical case reports. In this report we describe the advantages of the heavy silicone oil endotamponade and our own clinical experiences with Densiron(R) 68. The use of heavy silicone oils turned out to be quite convenient, leading for example to shorter tamponade times, easy handling of the oil, no need for uncomfortable prone-position of the patients. On the other hand one has to consider that Densiron(R) 68 is a mixture which contains 70 % PDMS and 30 % F 6 H8, a heavy fluid that was associated with multiple complications if used as sole long-term endotamponade. Based on these experiences we recommend all users bear in mind possible complications. However, such complications can be prevented.