title: Active Silicone Oil Removal with a Transconjunctival Sutureless System: Is the 23-Gauge System Safe and Effective?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of active silicone oil removal with a 23-gauge (G) transconjunctival sutureless system.
  
  
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors: Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Mahmut
authors: M
authors: Kaya
authors: Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Ayhan
authors: A
authors: Özyurt
authors: Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Arif Taylan
authors: AT
authors: Öztürk
authors: Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Duygu
authors: D
authors: Er
authors: Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Süleyman
authors: S
authors: Kaynak
authors: Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Nilüfer
authors: N
authors: Koçak
keywords: 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless technique; silicone oil removal