Retinal detachment after neodymium:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy

We reviewed the records of 397 patients who had undergone Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy between July 1983 and August 1988. Of the 366 eyes that had been followed up for three months or more, 13 (3.6%) developed a retinal detachment after capsulotomy; of these 13 detachments, 11 (84.6%) occurred within the first year. The combination of male gender with axial myopia (greater than or equal to 25.00 mm), a history of lattice degeneration, or a history of retinal detachment in the fellow eye was a significant risk factor for the development of retinal detachment after YAG capsulotomy.