[Functional and anatomic results with intra-ocular tamponade in retinal detachment surgery]

To analyze the anatomical and functional results with silicone oil and gas tamponade, we reviewed our last 506 consecutive surgical procedures for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. In combination with vitreous surgery, silicone oil was used in 4% and expanding gas in 15%. The anatomical success rate with silicone oil was 68% and with gas tamponade 79%. A visual acuity of 0.05 or better was achieved in 36% of the eyes treated with silicone oil versus 67% of the eyes treated with gas tamponade. Although the more advanced stages of proliferative vitreoretinopathy were in the silicone group, our results confirm the findings of other investigators: despite the high anatomical success rate with silicone oil, the functional results are poor. Because many complicated cases of retinal detachment can also be treated successfully with gas tamponade, silicone oil should remain the last option in retinal detachment surgery.