RETINAL DETACHMENT FOLLOWING Nd: YAG CAPSULOTOMY

Abstract

In a retrospective study of 862 patients undergoing Nd: YAG capsulotomy for secondary posterior capsule opacification after extracapsular cataract surgery, the prevalence of retinal detachment was found to be 1.4% with minimum follow-up of six months. Thirty-eight per cent of these detachments occurred within the first two months and 69% occurred within the first six months following capsulotomy. The increase in the prevalence of retinal detachment following Nd: YAG capsulotomy is most likely due to changes in the vitreous which occur when the posterior capsule is no longer intact.