Silicone Oil Utilized in Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Patients with Advanced Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: Physico-Chemical and Optical Properties

Abstract

Objective

Silicone oils have the role in maintaining the attachment of the retina in conditions where the risk of retinal re-detachment is high. However, silicone oils have the tendency to emulsify with subsequent complications. In this work, analyses have been performed to understand changes that occurred to the optical, and physical characteristics of the oil after removal from the vitreous cavity of patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for fibrovascular membranes/tractional retinal detachment (FVM/TRD).

Methods

Four samples of silicone oil were allocated from patients who underwent PPV for FVM/TRD. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, micro-viscometry, and ultraviolet-visible spectrometer analyses were utilized to determine the changes in its chemical bondings, viscosity, absorbance, transmittance, buoyance, and specific gravity.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 49.0 years. The mean duration of silicone oil implantation was 18.9 months. FTIR analysis showed significant breaking in the chemical bonding that was related to the lens status during the primary PPV, the presence of significant retinal hemorrhages, the duration of silicone oil implantation, and the degree of silicone oil filling. Similarly, viscosity and contact angle analyses revealed a reduction in the viscosity with similar factors to the FTIR analysis. Moreover, absorbance and transmittance were largely affected by the aggressiveness of FVM/TRD.

Conclusion

This study revealed that certain factors such as the age of the patient, duration of silicone oil implantation, lens status, and the presence of retinal hemorrhages, the degree of silicone oil filling and aggressiveness of FVM/TRD may contribute to the emulsification process.

Keywords:

• silicone oil
• tractional retinal detachment
• emulsification
• viscosity

Availability Data and Materials

Data sharing does not apply to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Board Review of Jordan University of Science and Technology (number: 20210430).

Consent for Publication

Written informed consent was obtained from all patients.

Acknowledgments

Our thanks are extended to Prof. Mohammad-Ali H. Al-Akhras for using his biomedical laboratory and Prof. Borhan Elbiss for using his superconductivity and nanotechnology laboratory.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising, or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) in Jordan, the Deanship of Scientific Research, for their particular support with research grant No. 430/2021.