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Cataract surgeons must realize when to bring in retina specialists, surgeon says
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NUSA DUA, Indonesia — In cases such as retinal detachment and other serious posterior complications, cataract surgeons should involve retina specialists as soon as possible, a surgeon said here.
 Pran N. Nagpal |
"Whenever there is a posterior capsular rupture, a surgeon should not feel embarrassed in asking a retinal surgeon colleague to look into the fundus, that less there be a small fragment of nucleus or lens matter floating inside ... that goes unnoticed to cause a detachment later," Pran N. Nagpal, MD, said at the joint meeting of the Asia-Pacific Association of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology here.
Retinal detachment after cataract surgery occurs at a rate of about 1.1%, with that numbers decreasing as techniques improve, but if a vitrectomy is performed, the incidence rises nearly five times to 5%, he said.
Dr. Nagpal said the risk factors cataract surgeons should remember for retinal detachment are high axial length, history of retinal detachment, eventful cataract surgery, posterior capsulotomy and IOL design. He discussed many other complications that cataract surgeons should prepare for, but reminded the audience that sometimes help is a necessity.
"It's better to have foresight than have hindsight," Dr. Nagpal said. "It should be a good practice to get a retinal surgeon involved in the examination immediately, if possible, after the surgical intervention."