Pseudophakic retinal detachments in the presence of various IOL types

A series of 600 pseudophakic retinal detachments in 578 patients undergoing surgical repair between 1974 and 1984 was reviewed. Patients with previous retinal surgery of less than six months follow-up were excluded. The series included 395 iris-fixated (IF) lenses, 130 anterior chamber (AC) lenses, and 75 posterior chamber (PC) lenses. The overall success rate for retinal detachment was 88% but was significantly better in the PC lens group and significantly worse in the AC lens group. Forty-one percent of all cases achieved 20/40 visual acuity or better, although the AC lens group did worse (28%), while the PC lens group did significantly better (48%). Risk factors that were predictive of failure also were identified. Many of these factors occurred more frequently in the AC lens group and probably are related to the overall worse outcome in eyes with AC lens implants. The implications of these results for retinal and cataract surgeons are discussed.