This study aimed to report anatomic and visual acuity outcomes after 5000-centistoke silicone oil was used as a retinal tamponade for the treatment of various causes of vitreoretinal diseases.

Two hundred ten eyes of 196 patients who had undergone vitrectomy with silicone oil between 1995 and 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. According to etiology, the eyes were divided into five groups : (1) Group 1 included 60 eyes associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, (2) Group 2 included 90 eyes associated with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, (3) Grouop 3 included 30 eyes associated with trauma, (4) Group 4 included 13 eyes associated with infection or other inflammatory disease, (5) Group 5 included 17 eyes associated with submacular hemorrhage or etc. Anatomic outcomes included complete retinal attachment and macular attachment. Visual acuity outcomes included ambulatory vision (≥4/200) and preservation of preoperative visual acuity.

At the last examination, the retina was completely attached in 98.1% of cases in Group 1, 98.9% Group 2, 82.6% Group 3, 83.3% Group 4 and 100% Group 5. The macula was attached in 98.1%, 98.9%, 87.0%, 100%, and 100% eyes, respectively. Ambulatory vision was achieved in 28 eyes (46.7%) in Group 1, 50 eyes (55.6%) in Group 2, 9 eyes (30.5%) in Group 3, 8 eyes (61.5%) in Group 4, and 6 eyes (35.3%) in Group 5.

Vitrectomy with 5000-centistoke silicone oil tamponade is an effective method in the management of vitreoretinal diseases with multiple etiologies.