The Use of Liquid Silicone in Retinal Detachment Surgery

Introduction  Silicone rubber has been widely used as implant material in plastic surgery and in retinal detachment procedures.¹ Liquid silicone was first injected into the vitreous cavity of rabbits by Stone,² who reported that silicone fluids of various viscosities were well tolerated and produced "very little change in the rabbit eyes over a period of two years." He went on to predict that it might be possible to find a "viscosity" that would maintain the "clarity" of the vitreous and help in "replacing the retina." Recently, other investigators^3-5 have confirmed Stone's observations. However, their animal experiments emphasized the possibilities of complications. Everett⁴ reported cataract formation following the injection of liquid silicone into the vitreous cavity of rabbits; Galavin⁵ produced glaucoma by the injection of liquid silicone into the posterior chamber of the rabbit eye.The present study serves a dual purpose: (1) to report further