title: Successful treatment of persistent macular holes using "heavy silicone oil" as intraocular tamponade.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Silicone oil tamponade has been suggested in the treatment of persistent macular hole, but visual outcome is often poor. We describe two patients who underwent reoperation for persistent macular hole using "heavy silicone oil" (HSO) tamponade.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patients who underwent vitrectomy, removal of the posterior vitreous cortex, peeling of the internal limiting membrane, and long-acting gas tamponade had persistent macular hole 3 months after surgery. The patients underwent reoperation using an HSO (Oxane Hd, Bausch & Lomb) as internal tamponade. This tamponade did not require postoperative posturing and was removed after 3 months. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed, and visual outcome was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OCT images showed that the HSO bubble conformed well with the retinal surface in the foveal region. Closure of the macular hole was achieved in both patients. Visual acuity increased from 20/100 to 20/40 in Patient 1 and from 20/600 to 20/100 in Patient 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HSO can be a useful tool in the treatment of persistent macular hole. OCT images showed that the tamponade was effective in the upright position in the foveal region. OCT allowed determination of the time of tamponade removal according to the anatomical stage of hole closure.
authors.affiliation: Santa Chiara Hospital, Eye Surgery Clinic, Pisa, Italy. chiroftalmica@ao-pisa.toscana.it
authors.forename: Stanislao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belting
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Genovesi-Ebert
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cresti
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vento
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011187:Posture; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012827:Silicone Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D012827:Silicone Oils