Phacoemulsification after retinal detachment surgery

Purpose: Previous studies have documented a 3% to 15.5% risk of retinal redetachment in eyes with prior scleral buckling procedures that later undergo intracapsular or extracapsular cataract extraction. The authors reviewed the records of patients with a history of retinal detachment (RD) surgery and subsequent phacoemulsification to assess the risk of retinal redetachment and the visual outcomes. Methods: Forty-seven eyes of 44 patients with a history of scleral buckling surgery who subsequently underwent phacoemulsification were identified. Features found before, during, and after surgery were reviewed. Results: No retinal redetachments occurred on a mean follow-up of 2.3 years. Eyes with RD repair were more myopic than fellow eyes (P = <0.001), had longer axial lengths (P = 0.001), had steeper keratometry readings (P = 0.03), and had larger differences in K readings between principal meridians (P = 0.01). Postoperative visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 72.3% of eyes and 20/80 or worse in 6.4% of eyes. Preexisting macular pathology was responsible for poor outcomes. Conclusion: The risk of redetachment after phacoemulsification in eyes with previous RD surgery is low. Despite retinal and cataract surgery, these eyes can achieve useful vision.