Risk factors for early emulsification of silicone oil after surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

To analyze the independent risk factors associated with early emulsification in rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs) and determine the association between suboptimal fill of silicone oil (SO) and the onset of early emulsification.

Retrospective observational cohort study.

Single-center (institutional) study. Electronic medical records of 81 eyes (81 patients) with RRD undergoing pars-plana vitrectomy with SO injection (from July 2020 to June 2021) were evaluated. Eyes with <6 weeks follow-up, combined RDs, eyes with active inflammation (<3 months from surgery), keratoprothesis, and nystagmus were excluded. The demographic data, cause of RRD, degree of myopia, best corrected visual acuity, number of breaks, presence of inferior break, preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy, relaxing retinectomies, buckle encirclage, technique of oil injection, viscosity of SO, duration of tamponade, presence of suboptimal fill on ultra-widefield imaging, postoperative lens status, and intraocular pressure on follow-up were analyzed.

Univariate and multivariate logistic-regression analysis was performed to determine the independent risk factors associated with SO emulsification.

The mean age of the patients was 39.4 ± 18.7 years. The mean duration of oil tamponade was 8.6 ± 7.3 months. 58.0% eyes had suboptimal SO fill. On multivariate analysis, age of the patient (P = 0.032), use of encirclage (0.006), and duration of oil-in-situ (0.015) were noted to have a significant association to SO emulsification. On analysis of eyes with oil duration <6 months (n = 37), suboptimal fill was a significant associate to emulsification (P = 0.025).

Suboptimal fill of SO in RRDs has a higher risk of early emulsification.