[Retinal detachment following neodymium YAG laser capsulotomy in aphakic and pseudo-aphakic eyes]

A retrospective study of 20 eyes with retinal detachment following Nd: YAG-laser capsulotomy was performed. Time intervals between cataract extraction and capsulotomy ranged from 1 to 50 years with a median of 22 months. Time intervals between capsulotomy and diagnosis of detachment ranged from 2 days to 15 months with an average interval of 4.42 months. Fifteen eyes had one or more horseshoe tears and one had a peripapillary tear. In one eye no tear was found. No relationship could be established to the size of the capsulotomy, the total energy applied or the number of laser effects. Three characteristic features were identified: average myopia before cataract extraction was -8.37 diopters with an average axial length of 26.65 mm. Lattice degeneration in the affected eye was found in 13 eyes. In 15 eyes the anterior hyaloid face was ruptured. Eleven cases were successfully reattached with one, 7 cases with two, and two cases with three operations. The retina was ultimately reattached in all cases. The high number of reoperations indicates a higher rate of proliferative vitreoretinopathy.