Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
Published Online First: 11 October 2006. doi:10.1136/bjo.2006.103994
British Journal of Ophthalmology 2007;91:818-821
Copyright © 2007 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

SCIENTIFIC REPORT

Mechanical energy from intraocular instruments cause emulsification of silicone oil

Jasmine H Francis1, Paul A Latkany2 and Jeanne L Rosenthal3

1 New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
2 225 E. 38th St New York, NY, 10016 USA
3 New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York, NY, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Paul A Latkany
New York Eye and Ear infirmary, 225 E. 38th St New York, NY, 10016 USA; all27email{at}yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Aim: The complications of intraocular silicone oil include emulsification, which may lead to vision-threatening disorders such as keratopathy, secondary glaucoma and retinopathy. The authors study the effect of mechanical energy from surgical instruments on the emulsification of silicone oil.

Methods: Three different handpieces (phacofragmentation, phacoemulsification, high-speed vitrectomy) were placed at the interface of balanced salt solution and silicone oil (1000 and 5000 cst, 200 fluid; Dow Corning). The phacofragmentation handpiece was evaluated over different ultrasound powers and duration. Emulsification was quantified with phase-contrast microscopy and manual counting of digital photographs by a masked examiner. In addition, phacoemulsification was performed in the anterior chamber of a human ex vivo eye with full-fill silicone oil.

Results: Emulsification increases with higher phacofragmentation power and duration and is greater for 1000 cst silicone oil. Emulsification of silicone oil occurs with phacoemulsification and high-speed vitrectomy handpieces.

Conclusions: The energy from surgical handpieces is sufficient to result in silicone oil emulsification.

Keywords: silicone oils; phacoemulsification; phacofragmentation; vitrectomy


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.

Ophthalmology Jobs

Ophthalmology Jobs