Retinal detachment after phacoemulsification cataract extraction.

Purpose: To estimate the incidence of retinal detachment (RD) after phacoemulsification cataract extraction in an unselected group of patients.

Setting: Herlev University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Methods: This retrospective review comprised 6521 cataract patients who had phacoemulsification over a 3-year period. The incidence of postoperative RD and the risk factors were assessed.

Results: During the 15- to 52-month observation period, 22 cases of RD in 21 patients were observed, with an estimated risk (Kaplan-Meier) of 0.41% (95% confidence limit, 0.25%-0.57%) at 52 months. The results confirmed recognized preoperative risk factors for RD such as an axial length greater than 25.0 mm (P<.001), age younger than 65 years (P<.001), and male sex (P<.02). In 18 eyes, the retina was reattached after 1 operation.

Conclusions: The incidence of RD after phacoemulsification cataract extraction in an unselected group of patients was low. A long axial length, young age, and male sex were confirmed as risk factors.