Things to note after removing silicone oil from eyes

Silicone oil plays a very important role in the treatment of many diseases. The silicone oil mentioned here is medical silicone oil. The use of this substance is quite strict, but it has great advantages for patients with diabetic retinopathy. In some cases, the silicone oil needs to be removed, and there are many precautions we need to understand afterwards. So, what are the precautions after removing silicone oil from the eyes? Let’s take a look below.

Medical silicone oil is polydimethylsiloxane, a colorless, transparent liquid with stable chemical properties, non-toxic and harmless to the human body. Its physical and chemical properties depend on the length of the siloxane chain and the properties of its side groups and terminal groups. The longer the chain, the greater the viscosity. The specific gravity is 0.96 to 0.98, which is lighter than water. When injected into the eye, it floats above the vitreous cavity. After injection into a phakic eye, it can produce +5.0D of hyperopia, while in an aphakic eye it can partially offset the aphakic refractive state. The commonly used viscosity in clinical practice is 1,000 to 5,000. Low-viscosity silicone oil is easy to inject but tends to emulsify in the eye, while high-viscosity silicone oil is the opposite.

However, injecting silicone oil into the vitreous cavity may cause some complications, such as cataracts. After silicone oil filling, the lens will inevitably become cloudy. When it affects vision, cataract removal and artificial lens implantation surgery can be performed. Some scholars also remove the transparent lens at the same time when filling with silicone oil. Since silicone oil can cause many serious complications and requires another surgery to remove it, its clinical application is limited to very serious cases. However, it has advantages for patients with diabetic retinopathy. This is mainly because silicone oil can press on the retina for a long time, the body position requirements are not as strict as gas, the hemostasis effect is worse than gas, and photocoagulation can be supplemented at any time after surgery. It is most suitable for elderly and weak patients who cannot adopt the prone position. The indications for final filling with silicone oil are mainly severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy combined with tractional or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and those who are not suitable for gas filling need to be injected with silicone oil. In addition, if there is a large amount of retinal loss, intraocular pressure is difficult to maintain, so silicone oil can be filled to keep the eyeball stable.

Precautions after taking silicone oil from eyes

1. If the retina is well reattached after silicone oil filling, it is recommended to remove the silicone oil. However, if the retina is not well reattached, retinal detachment may occur after the operation.

2. If the patient has low vision before the operation, silicone oil removal is not necessary, because after silicone oil removal, the operated eye will have no vision or low intraocular pressure, and the eyeball will atrophy. As long as silicone oil does not cause complications, you can consider keeping it in your eyes for a long time.

3. Generally, one week is enough for the retinal silicone oil removal surgery. Attention should be paid to the care during and after the surgery.

4. Most of the silicone oil is taken out, and it will emulsify over a long period of time, and it will make the lens cloudy (that is, complicated cataracts), and it may also cause secondary glaucoma and a series of other problems.

5. It is recommended that you go to the hospital where you are receiving treatment for a detailed examination to determine the location and cause of bleeding and to treat the symptoms accordingly. It is recommended to take a rest and avoid strenuous activities.

6. You can use normal saline solution for cleaning, and try applying anti-inflammatory eye drops and eye ointments. Be sure to take the medicine on time, drink plenty of water, avoid spicy and irritating foods, pay attention to eye hygiene and have follow-up examinations.