AIM: To assess clinical efficacy of vitrectomy combined with heavy silicone oil tamponaded for severe proliferative vitreous retinopathy.

METHODS: Totally 13 severe proliferative vitreous retinopathy(PVR)patients(13 eyes)admitted to our hospital between June 2012 and December 2015 were included. We analyzed the clinical efficacy of vitrectomy combined with heavy silicone oil tamponaded and heavy silicone oil removal combined with C₃F₈ tamponaded at late phase for 13 patients. Heavy silicone oil removal of 13 patients were performed at 10 to 17wk after heavy silicone oil tamponaded. The patients were reviewed at 1-7d after vitrectomy combined with heavy silicone oil tamponaded, 1, 2, 4 and 17wk after hospital discharge, 1-7d after the heavy silicone oil removal, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24wk after the second hospital discharge. Patients were followed up for at least 24wk after the heavy silicone oil removal. The observed indicators included the rate of retinal reattachment, the best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure(IOP), intraocular lens and postoperative complications.

RESULTS: During follow-up,13 eyes showed a stably reattached after heavy silicone oil tamponaded. Heavy Silicone oil of 13 patients were removed combined with C₃F₈ tamponaded for 10 to 17 wk after heavy silicone oil tamponaded. But the fifth case had retinal detachment recurrence for 4wk after heavy silicone oil removed because of macular hole and the eighth case had retinal detachment recurrence for 8wk after heavy silicone oil removed because of new superior temporal retinal hole. Follow up for 24wk, the other 11 eyes showed a stably reattached after heavy oil silicone removed. The best corrected visual acuity range of 13 eyes were in light perception to hand move before heavy oil silicone tamponaded and the best corrected visual acuity range of 13 eyes were in hand move to 20/250 for 24wk after heavy oil silicone removed. The best corrected visual acuity of the fifth case and the eighth case were count finger and hand move for 24wk after heavy oil silicone removed. Four eyes had high intraocular pressure 1wk after heavy oil silicone tamponaded which were reduced to 10-21mmHg after drug treatment. At late phase 5 eyes had drug uncontrollable high intraocular pressure which we took silicone oil removal timely. Three eyes had temporarily high intraocular pressure after heavy oil silicone removed which were reduced to 10-21mmHg after drug treatment. At late phase 3 eyes did not appear high intraocular pressure after stopping anti-glaucoma medication. Thirteen eyes had no serious complications such as anterior chamber inflammation and endophthalmitis during the treatment.

CONCLUSION: Vitrectomy combined with heavy silicone oil tamponaded and heavy oil silicone removed combined with C₃F₈ tamponaded at late phase for 13 severe proliferative vitreous retinopathy patients could achieve a satisfactory rate of retinal reattachment and improve the patients' prognostic visual acuity.