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 phacoemulsification 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.