[Indications, technics and results of cataract surgery on an eye effected with healed or present retinal detachment...

This communication is a survey of 53 cataract operations followed up during a period of 1-6 years, with an average of 4 years, and performed on patients who had a high risk of subsequent retinal detachment because of a preceding detachment on the fellow eye or on the cataractous eye, because of peripheral retinal degenerations, or a history of hereditary retinal detachment. Most of the operations were performed under general anesthesia and ocular hypotony. In all the cases, a limbal-based conjonctival flap with a double line of sutures (scleral and conjonctival), an iridectomy in segment, a zonulolysis and a cryoextraction, were done. As for the retina, 18 eyes received a coagulation before the cataract extraction by galvano- or cryocoagulation or even by xenon photocoagulation. Among them 3 had a detachment after the cataract extraction, but 2 of them were cured by a new operation. 15 eyes had peripheral retinal lesions which were coagulated after the cataract extraction by cryo-, laser or xenon coagulation. Nevertheless 2 had a detachment. 13 patients with a detachment on the fellow eye or in the family, had no peripheral lesion and were not coagulated. None of them had a retinal detachment after the cataract extraction. Finally the eyes operated upon a short time after the cataract extraction suffered severe complications: reopening of the cataract incision, loss of vitreous and finally loss of 2 eyes out of 3.