Pseudophakic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in a large Asian tertiary eye centre: a cohort study

To determine the incidence and identify risk factors for the development of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in patients who had cataract surgery at the Singapore National Eye Centre between 2001 and 2003.

Retrospective case-control study.

All patients who had cataract surgery between 2001 and 2003 and subsequently retinal detachment surgery in the same eye, between 2001 and June 2008, at Singapore National Eye Centre.

Review of case records.

Incidence of posterior capsular rupture and retinal detachment.

Thirty-nine eyes, out of 24 846 cataract operations performed between 2001 and 2003, developed rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in the follow-up period from 2001 to 2008 (cumulative incidence 0.16%, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.21%). Of the 508 eyes with posterior capsular rupture during cataract surgery, nine developed retinal detachment (cumulative incidence 1.77%, 95% confidence interval 0.87-3.23%). Men were more likely to develop retinal detachment (P < 0.001). On Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, younger patients had a higher probability of retinal detachment in comparison with older subjects (P < 0.001). Similarly, eyes with posterior capsular rupture during surgery had shorter interval duration to retinal detachment, compared with eyes that did not (P = 0.002). When compared with patients more than 70 years of age, younger patients had significantly higher hazard ratios of retinal detachment (hazard ratio 19.7, 95% confidence interval 3.6-107.3, P < 0.05).

The incidence of pseudophakic retinal detachment in our institution is low. Posterior capsular rupture during surgery, men and younger age at time of surgery increases the risk of developing retinal detachment, and careful observation for the occurrence of retinal detachment may be warranted in these groups of patients.