Full Thickness Macular Hole Closure after Exchanging Silicone-Oil Tamponade with C(3)F(8) without Posturing

PURPOSE: To report a case of macular hole closure after the exchange of a silicone-oil tamponade with gas C(3)F(8) 14%. METHOD: A 64-year-old female patient with a stage IV macular hole underwent a three-port pars-plana vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane peeling. Due to the patient's chronic illness (respiratory problems), a silicone-oil tamponade was preferred. However, the macula hole was still flat opened four months postoperatively. Therefore, the patient underwent an exchange of silicone oil with gas C(3)F(8) 14%. No face-down position was advised postoperatively due to her health problems. RESULTS: Macular hole closure was confirmed with optical coherence tomography six weeks after exchanging the silicone oil with gas. CONCLUSIONS: Macular hole surgery using a silicone-oil tamponade has been proposed as treatment of choice for patients unable to posture. In our case, the use of a long-acting gas (C(3)F(8) 14%), even without posturing, proved to be more effective.