The use of liquid silicone in retinal detachment surgery.

Introduction Silicone rubber has been widely used as implant material in plastic surgery and in retinal detachment procedures. 1 Liquid silicone was first injected into the vitreous cavity of rabbits by Stone, 2 who reported that silicone fluids of various viscosities were well tolerated and produced "very little change in the rabbit eyes over a period of two years." He went on to predict that it might be possible to find a "viscosity" that would maintain the "clarity" of the vitreous and help in "replacing the retina." Recently, other investigators 3-5 have confirmed Stone's observations. However, their animal experiments emphasized the possibilities of complications. Everett 4 reported cataract formation following the injection of liquid silicone into the vitreous cavity of rabbits; Galavin 5 produced glaucoma by the injection of liquid silicone into the posterior chamber of the rabbit eye. The present study serves a dual purpose: (1) to report further