Study: 2.7% of high myopes had retinal detachment after coaxial phacoemulsification

High myopes younger than 50 years showed slightly higher rates of retinal detachment after coaxial phacoemulsification than patients older than 50 years in a recent study. The overall rate of retinal detachment was 2.7%, the study authors noted.

Jorge L. Alió, MD, PhD, of Vissum Instituto Oftalmologico de Alicante, Spain, and colleagues reviewed a consecutive series of patients to gauge the incidence of retinal detachment in highly myopic patients after small-incision coaxial phacoemulsification. They published their results in the July issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

The study included 439 eyes of 274 highly myopic patients. Patients averaged 62.2 years of age. Axial length averaged 27.88 mm, and spherical equivalent averaged –13.3 D, according to the study.

The primary outcome measures — retinal detachment, vitreous loss and Nd:YAG capsulotomy — were assessed postoperatively at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months and annually thereafter. Follow-up averaged 61.5 months, the authors reported.

The researchers found that 12 eyes (2.7%) had a retinal detachment. This included three eyes (3.65%) in patients younger than 50 years and nine eyes (2.52%) in patients older than 50 years, according to the study.

The cumulative risk of experiencing a retinal detachment overall was 0.47% at 3 months follow-up, 0.71% at 6 months, 1.71% at 15 months, 2.59% at 48 months and 3.28% at 63 to 105 months.

In eyes younger than 50 years, the risk increased to 1.23% at 3 months and 4.46% at 63 months to 147 months. In eyes older than 50 years, the retinal detachment risk was 0.58% at 6 months and 2.96% at 52 to 118 months, according to the study.

Researchers found no significant correlation between the occurrence of retinal detachment and vitreous loss or Nd:YAG capsulotomy.