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Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for the correction of myopia
J F Arevalo1, E Ramirez, E Suarez
1Retina and Vitreous Service, Clinica Oftalmologica Centro Caracas, San Bernardino, Venezuela.
Purpose:
To report a case series of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and its incidence at a mean of 24 months.
Methods:
The clinical charts of patients who experienced RRD after LASIK were reviewed. Five refractive surgeons and 24,890 myopic eyes that underwent surgical correction of myopia ranging from -0.75 to -29.00 diopters (D) (mean, -6.19 D) participated in this study.
Results:
Thirteen eyes from 12 patients developed RRD after LASIK. Rhegmatogenous RD occurred between 1 and 36 months (mean, 12.6 months) after LASIK. Eyes that developed RRD had from -1.50 to -16.00 D of myopia (mean, -6.96 D) before LASIK. Rhegmatogenous RD were managed with vitrectomy, cryoretinopexy, scleral buckling, argon laser retinopexy, or pneumatic retinopexy techniques. The incidence of RRD at a mean of 24 months after LASIK in this study was 0.05%.
Conclusions:
Rhegmatogenous RD after LASIK is infrequent. If managed promptly, good vision can result. No cause-effect relationship between LASIK and RD can be proved from this study, but the authors recommend that patients scheduled for refractive surgery undergo a thorough dilated indirect fundus examination with scleral depression and treatment of any retinal lesions predisposing them to the development of RRD before LASIK surgery is performed.