Cataract surgery as a risk factor for retinal detachment in very highly myopic eyes

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence of retinal detachment (RD) after cataract surgery performed by phaco-emulsification in very highly myopic eyes. Design: Retrospective, paired-eye, case-control trial. Participants and Intervention: We assessed the development of RD in 930 eyes from 930 subjects (mean age = 62.5 +/- 8.5 years) affected by very high myopia (between -15 and -30 diopters) undergoing cataract surgery after uncomplicated phacoemulsification (cataract-subjected [CS] eyes). Fellow eyes served as controls. Follow-up was 36 months. Main Outcome Measure: Detachment of the retina. Results: Retinal detachment was observed in 8.0% of CS eyes compared with 1.2% of control eyes (P<0.01, chi-square test). In CS eyes, posterior RD was most common (52.7% of eyes with RD). In control eyes, peripheral detachments with or without macular involvement were most common (47.3% of eyes with RD). Conclusion: Cataract surgery, despite the use of a safe technique such as phacoemulsification, increases the risk of RD development in very highly myopic eyes. (C) 2003 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.