Incidence of retinal detachments following extracapsular cataract extractions. A prospective study

This is a preliminary report on a prospective study designed to determine the incidence of retinal detachment following planned extracapsular cataract extractions. The population consists of 454 eyes with a mean follow-up period of 23 months. The incidence of detachment is much lower than that reported for intracapsular extractions. The most significant finding to date is the importance of maintaining the posterior capsule and the vitreous face intact. The incidence of detachment when this is accomplished in normal eyes is 0.9%. The overall incidence of this complication in the entire series is 1.50%. The reported disadvantage of maintaining the posterior capsule is the 40% to 50% incidence of a secondary cataract. In this series, the incidence is 11%. The factors responsible for this low figure are enumerated.