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Lamina Cribrosa Changes Following Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Silicone Oil Injection for Rhegmatogenous Retinal
Homayoun Nikkhah1,2,3, Fatemeh Foroudi Eshtahbanati1,3, Sadid Hooshmandi1
1Ophthalmic Research Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research
|August 1, 2026
Summary
Silicone oil (SO) injection for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) thins the lamina cribrosa (LC) but does not alter its depth. This finding is crucial for understanding SO's long-term ocular effects.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retinal Surgery
- Glaucoma Research
Background:
- Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) often requires surgical intervention.
- Silicone oil (SO) is frequently used as an intraocular tamponade agent after vitrectomy for RRD.
- The long-term effects of SO on ocular structures, particularly the optic nerve head, are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of silicone oil (SO) tamponade on the morphological characteristics of the lamina cribrosa (LC).
- To compare LC thickness and depth in eyes with SO following RRD repair versus healthy contralateral eyes.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 49 patients with unilateral RRD treated with pars plana vitrectomy and SO.
- Contralateral healthy eyes served as controls.
- Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) was used to measure LC thickness and depth.
Main Results:
- Eyes with SO tamponade showed a significantly thinner LC compared to healthy eyes (270.1 ± 45.1 µm vs 303.2 ± 48.6 µm; P < 0.0001).
- No significant difference was found in LC depth between eyes with SO and healthy eyes (347.6 ± 64.3 µm vs 329.6 ± 76.7 µm; P = 0.232).
- Subgroup analysis excluding patients on antiglaucoma medications confirmed these findings.
Conclusions:
- Silicone oil tamponade in eyes with RRD leads to a significant thinning of the lamina cribrosa.
- The depth of the lamina cribrosa remains unaffected by silicone oil treatment.
- These findings highlight a structural change in the optic nerve head associated with SO use.
