Elastic stability of silicone ferrofluid internal tamponade (SFIT) in retinal detachment surgery

It has been argued that silicone ferrofluid internal tamponade (SFIT) can provide (360°) tamponade of the retina in retinal detachment surgery. Provided that the produced SFIT is biocompatible, exact knowledge is needed of its elastic stability in the magnetic field produced by the semi-solid magnetic silicon band (MSB) used as a scleral buckle. We propose a quantitative, phenomenological model to estimate the critical magnetic field produced by the MSB that ‘closes’ retinal tears and results in the reattachment of the retina. The magnetic ‘deformation’ of SFIT is modeled in accordance with the deformation of a ferrofluid droplet in an external magnetic field.