Perfluoro-octane is used as an intraoperative tool for manipulation of the retina during vitreous surgery for retinal detachment in cases of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), giant tears and large peripheral retinotomies. One case of a macular hole combined with a peripheral one was also treated in this way. Perfluoro-octane seems, in our experience, a useful instrument for intraoperative atraumatic flattening of the retinal in those complicated cases with largely detached retinas.