ObjectiveTo observe the characteristics of macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) changes before and after silicone oil removal in patients who had undergone pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade for macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). MethodsThirty-nine eyes that underwent silicone oil removal were enrolled in this retrospective study. The patients included 24 males and 15 females, with an average age of (53.05±4.03) years, the duration of silicone oil tamponade ranged from 3 to 7 months. Best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit lamp microscope and pre-lens, indirect ophthalmoscopy and fourier domain OCT were measured for all patients before and at months 1, 3 and 6 after silicone oil removal. The macular microstructure were observed before and after silicone oil removal. ResultsSubmacular fluid was detected in 6 eyes (15.38%), at the last time of follow-up, submacular fluid resolved completely in 2 eyes with disrupted ellipsoid zone, and resolved partly in 2 eyes. Disrupted ellipsoid zone were observed before silicone oil removal in 16 eyes (41.02%), 6 eyes showed simultaneous disrupted ellipsoid zone and disrupted external limiting membrane, and there were 2 eyes that external limiting membrane was not identified, at the last time of follow-up, disrupted ellipsoid zone restored in 2 eyes and the extent of disrupted ellipsoid zone became reduced in 4 eyes. Cystoids macular edema were found in 2 eyes (5.12%), it resolved completely in 1 eye and resolved partly in 1 eye at the last time of follow-up. Macular epiretinal membrane was detected in 10 eyes (25.64%), and macular epiretinal membrane was found before silicone oil removal in 5 eyes, at the last time of follow-up, the membrane became thickened in 2 eye; 5 eyes developed macular epiretinal membrane after silicone oil removal, at the last time of follow-up, the membrane became thickened in 1 eye. Secondary macular hole were noted in 2 eyes. Microcystic macular changes were observed in 9 eyes (23.07%), it was observed in 7 eyes before silicone oil removal, and was observed in 2 eyes after silicone oil removal, at the last time of follow-up, the cysts reduced in 1 eye. ConclusionSubmacular fluid, disrupted ellipsoid zone and microcystic macular are the main macular ultrastructural changes that developed in patients with RRD before and after silicone oil removal.