Chemical Engineering View on the Silicone Oil Utilization in the Treatment of Retinal Detachment

Abstract Retinal detachment is an acute condition in ophthalmology that needs an immediate surgical management. The treatment requires a replacement of the vitreous with a temporary substitute, usually based on a silicone oil. A certain number of patients experience adverse events during the treatment. It seems this phenomenon is related to the formation of emulsions in the affected eye. These appear macroscopically as heterogeneities resembling small droplets with a patchy occurrence in the vitreous substitute. Their existence represents a major complication that may lead to loss of vision. The heterogeneities are transported to regions of the eye in which they cause irreversible damage. The current state of knowledge describes the phenomenon and recommends certain intervention procedures. Here, specific attention is paid to the chemical engineering aspects of the utilization of silicone oils for the treatment of the retinal detachment. It is very likely that the process of tiny droplet formation leading to the development of emulsions is substantially controlled by the hydrodynamic conditions in the eye. The complexity of this statement is examined in this review text.