Active Silicone Oil Removal with a Transconjunctival Sutureless System: Is the 23-Gauge System Safe and Effective?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of active silicone oil removal with a 23-gauge (G) transconjunctival sutureless system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred sixteen eyes of 113 patients who had previous retinal detachment surgery with pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil injection surgery, and underwent silicone oil removal surgery with 23-G transconjonctival sutureless technique in our clinic between January 2009 and April 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were evaluated with regard to postoperative changes in best corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP), and complications that occurred during and after surgery. RESULTS: Of the 113 patients with mean age of 61.1±9.7 years (29-88 years), 62 (54.8%) were males and 51 (45.2%) were females. Silicone oil removal was performed 8.43±5.24 months after the initial surgery. Mean follow-up was 13.38±4.35 months. Visual acuity improved in 69 eyes (59.48%). Anatomic success was achieved in 113 eyes (97.41%). Mean IOP was 16.2±7.2 mmHg at baseline and 14.4±2.6 mmHg at postoperative day 1 (p=0.643). Eight eyes needed suturation of at least one sclerotomy. Retinal redetachment occurred in 3 eyes (2.5%) resulting in a decrease in vision. There were no cases of choroidal detachment, endophthalmitis, clinically significant corneal endothelial decompensation, or macular edema. CONCLUSION: Active removal of 1,300-centistoke silicone oil with a 23-G transconjunctival sutureless system is a simple, sutureless technique causing minor surgical trauma. Active removal of silicone oil with the 23-G transconjunctival sutureless technique was found to be effective and safe in both phakic and pseudophakic eyes.