Lamina Cribrosa Changes Following Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Silicone Oil Injection for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment: A Contralateral Eye Study

Abstract

Purpose: To assess changes in lamina cribrosa (LC) characteristics in eyes with silicone oil (SO) due to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Methods: This cross-sectional contralateral eye study was conducted on 49 patients with unilateral RRD who underwent pars plana vitrectomy and SO injection followed by SO removal. The contralateral eyes served as controls. The thickness and depth of LC in both eyes of the participants were evaluated using the enhanced depth imaging technique via optical coherence tomography. Results: The average age of the participants was 57.6 +/- 10.5 years, and the mean duration of postoperative SO retention was 6.4 +/- 1.7 months. The mean depth of LC was 347.6 +/- 64.3 pm in eyes with SO tamponade and 329.6 +/- 76.7 pm in healthy eyes (P = 0.232). On the other hand, the LC in eyes with SO tamponade was significantly thinner compared to that in healthy eyes (270.1 +/- 45.1 pm vs 303.2 +/- 48.6 pm; P < 0.0001). In addition, subgroup analysis revealed that similar findings were obtained after excluding patients who had received antiglaucoma medications to manage increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Conclusion: This study showed that eyes with SO injection exhibit a significantly thinner LC compared to healthy eyes, with no difference in the depth of the LC between the two groups.