Retinal Issues Rise After Cataract Surgery

TOPLINE:

The incidence of new retinal tears and detachments after cataract surgery in patients with previously treated phakic retinal tears is relatively high, occurring in nearly one out of every 18 eyes within a year of surgery, with younger men being particularly vulnerable.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a retrospective review of 12,109 phakic eyes treated for retinal tears with laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy between April 1, 2012, and May 31, 2023.
• Cataract surgery was subsequently performed in a total of 1039 (8.6%) eyes during the follow-up period, with 713 eyes of 660 patients meeting the inclusion criteria.
• The mean duration of follow-up after the primary treatment of phakic retinal tears and after cataract surgery was 56.6 and 34.8 months, respectively.
• The primary outcome measures were the incidence of retinal tears or detachments following cataract surgery; secondary outcomes were the risk factors for a diagnosis of retinal tears or detachments and visual and anatomic results.

TAKEAWAY:

• The overall incidence of a retinal tear or detachment following cataract surgery was 7.3% during the follow-up period, with a 1-year incidence of 5.6%.
• The factors significantly associated with the risk for retinal tear or detachment after surgery included younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; P = .028) and male gender (OR, 2.06; P = .022).
• Visual acuity significantly worsened at the time of diagnosis of retinal detachment after cataract surgery (median log of the minimal angle of resolution, 0.18; P = .009).
• About 80.6% of the cases achieved anatomical success after a single surgery for the repair of retinal detachment following cataract surgery at 3 months, with a 100% success rate for reattachment.

IN PRACTICE:

“It is essential to conduct a thorough preoperative assessment and to maintain high level of suspicion for additional retinal breaks,” the authors wrote. “Educating patients on warning symptoms is crucial for early detection and treatment of [retinal detachment], thereby helping to prevent further complications,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Bita Momenaei, MD, from the Wills Eye Hospital of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. It was published online on July 1, 2024, in Ophthalmology.

LIMITATIONS:

The retrospective nature of the study limits firm conclusions about the risk factors for retinal tear or detachment after cataract surgery. Some diagnosed tears might have been preexisting but became visible post-surgery due to improved clarity. The incidence data on retinal tear or detachment were limited to patients who returned for follow-up at the facility, potentially underestimating true incidence rates.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the J. Arch McNamara, MD, Fund for Retina Research and Education. Some of the authors declared serving as consultants or receiving research grants from various pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.