Axial length variation with the use of silicone oil tamponade

Abstract

Background Silicone oil (SO) tamponade is the method of choice as a long-term stable retinal tamponade. Axial length (AL) and ocular biometry are reported to change with the use of SO. However, these changes are not well studied in eyes. Objectives To measure the change in AL before SO injection, as a tamponade, and then following its removal for accurate choice of intraocular lens (IOL) power. Patients and methods This prospective case series study was conducted in the Ophthalmology Department, Menoufia University Hospital, Egypt. The study included 100 eyes of 100 patients who gave consent, with age ranging from 9 to 83 years, undergoing retinal detachment (RD) repair via three-port vasectomy with SO injection and combined SO removal with phacoemulsification after 3–6 months. Eyes with rhegmatogenous RD less than 3 months old with no other significant eye disease were included. Ophthalmic examination included best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure Goldmann tonometry, and AL measurement by A-scan ultrasound and IOL Master500. Results Using IOL Master500 and A-scan, there were no significant differences between the two devices in the mean values of AL at different times of assessment (P = 0.137 and 0.075); otherwise, there was a significant higher mean values of the AL in SO-filled eyes than before operation (P 1 = 0.053 and 0.025). On the contrary, there were no significant differences in the AL either after SO removal than before operation (P 2 = 0.577 and 0.151, respectively), or after SO removal than in SO-filled eyes (P 3 = 0.167 and 0.415, respectively). Conclusion From our study, we conclude that the AL after injection of SO increased by 0.70 mm, whereas following removal of SO would increase by 0.2 mm compared with before SO injection in cases with RD status.