In vitro effectiveness of silicone oil removal.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of silicone oil removal from the human eye under in vitro conditions.


METHODS
Six keratoplasty donor eyes were vitrectomized and filled with silicone oil (5000 centistokes). After oil removal, the amount of residual oil was determined by quantifying the silicon content of the eyes. Six control eyes were prepared without oil filling.


RESULTS
The six control specimens showed a silicon content of 2.83-10.2 microg (mean 5.06 microg, SD 3.19), the six test specimens a silicon content of 70.54-297.10 microg (mean 163.91 microg, SD 86.89). The difference is significant (p<0.05). The amount of residual oil in the test eyes was 192.0-856.2 microg (0.0037-0.0179% of the applicated oil quantity).


CONCLUSIONS
The low magnitude of residual intraocular oil after oil removal shows that silicone oil could be removed to almost 100% when emulsification and biological mechanisms of oil retention are excluded. This could favour early silicone oil removal.
Scholda
C D
CD
Eye Clinic, University of Vienna, Austria.
Egger
S F
SF
Lakits
A
A
Steffan
I
I
Baumgartner
I
I
Hinterhofer
H
H
D002102:Cadaver; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004322:Drainage / Q000592:standards*; D005123:Eye / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009821:Oils / Q000378:metabolism*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012828:Silicones / Q000378:metabolism*; D014821:Vitrectomy
D009821:Oils; D012828:Silicones