CHOOSING THE OPTIMAL TAMPONADE IN SILICONE OIL REMOVAL: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BALANCED SALT SOLUTION, AIR, AND C3F8

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of balanced salt solution (BSS), air, and perfluoropropane (C3F8) as intraocular tamponade agents on visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP) after silicone oil (SO) removal surgery. METHODS: This retrospective study included 60 eyes that underwent 23-gauge SO removal and were assigned to the BSS, air, or 8% C3F8 groups (n = 20 per group). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and IOP were evaluated postoperatively at Day 1, Week 1, Month 1, and Month 3. RESULTS: On postoperative Day 1, the BCVA was significantly better in the BSS group than in the air and C3F8 groups ( P < 0.001). At 1 week, BCVA in the air group improved to a level comparable with that in the BSS group ( P = 0.225), while the BCVA in C3F8 group remained worse than that in both groups ( P < 0.001 vs. BSS; P = 0.009 vs. air). At 1 and 3 months, BCVA did not differ significantly between the BSS and air groups ( P = 0.204 vs. 1 month; P = 0.168 vs. 3 months) but remained lower in the C3F8 group (all P < 0.05). No significant differences in IOP were found between groups at any time point. CONCLUSION: BSS provides the fastest visual recovery after SO removal compared with air and C3F8. It is the optimal choice for improving both short- and long-term visual outcomes while maintaining normal IOP in routine cases.