[Cataract surgery. Effect on the posterior segment of the eye]

Cataract surgery is a safe procedure with a high patient satisfaction rate. However, pseudophakia changes the physiology of the eye and immediate changes include release of inflammatory cytokines. Deformation of the globe and intraoperative fluctuations of intraocular pressure may induce microlesions and alterations of ocular perfusion. The barrier function between the anterior and the posterior segment is compromised after surgery and the geometry of the intraocular chambers changes. Especially the vitreous body is subject to increased destruction during the years after surgery. The occurrence of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery is a well known complication. Several studies have described a progression of diabetic retinopathy, especially of diabetic macular edema after cataract surgery. In contrast cataract surgery does not seem to have a significant impact on the progression of age-related macular degeneration. However the risk for retinal detachment is significantly increased in pseudophakia for at least 10 years after surgery. Awareness of special risk factors can make cataract surgery, one of the most effective procedures in medicine, even safer.