Purpose:

To identify and assess the available information regarding the frequency of complications following the use of silicone oil (SO).

Methods:

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Cochrane and Embase, up to June 2020. The reference lists of identified studies and relevant reviews were also reviewed. We included studies in Spanish and English, with no publication date limits, of all types of methodology, with populations over 50 eyes, with patients previously diagnosed with tractional retinal detachment, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, giant retinal tears, traumatic retinal detachment and patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy from any cause, with a minimum follow-up of 6 weeks. The quality assessment of the studies was conducted according to the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine classification of levels of evidence.

Results:

A total of 13 studies were included, most of which were retrospective, with a level of evidence 2b. Cataract (median: 90, interquartile range [IQR]: 80-100%), silicone oil emulsification in the anterior chamber (median: 64.5; IQR: 46.5-82.25%), ocular hypertension (median: 23.3; IQR: 22.15-35.1%) and retinal redetachment (median: 22; IQR: 18.5-30%) were the most frequent complications; while pupillary block (median: 4.3; IQR: 3.8-4.8%), subconjunctival silicone oil deposits (median: 4.15; IQR: 3.75-4.57%), and expulsive suprachoroidal hemorrhage (median: 1; IQR: 0.95-1.05%) were the least frequent.

Conclusions:

The most frequent complications reported in decreasing order were cataracts, silicon oil emulsification in the anterior chamber, ocular hypertension, retinal redetachment, keratopathy, hypotonia, subretinal silicone oil migration, rebleeding, secondary glaucoma, unexplained visual loss, pupillary block, subconjunctival silicone oil deposits and expulsive suprachoroidal hemorrhage.

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