[Value of silicone sponge in retinal detachment surgery]

Lincoff's development of silicone sponge and substitution cryosurgery for diathermy in the mid-1960s, was the beginning of the minimized surgery for retinal detachment, limited to the surgery of the breaks. The aim of this paper is to present our experiences with these kinds of operations, with special attention to the complications causing the necessity of removing the sponge. Our studies concerned the patients who underwent retinal detachment surgery, in the Ophthalmological Clinic in Cracow in the years 1983-1992, using scleral buckling procedures with silicone sponge. In 152 cases circumferential and in 36 radial local scleral buckling procedures were performed; in 30 cases local buckling was added to encirclement with silicone band. The complications, attributed to the sponge, were observed in 9.7% of cases. Anterior segment inflammatory reactions, often sterile were found in 15 eyes, in 7 of them it was necessary to remove the sponge. In 13 eyes the sponge was removed on account of its extrusion. In none of the cases removal of the sponge influenced the retinal attachment. Our studies confirmed, that silicone sponge is a very good material for scleral buckling procedures.