How long after cataract surgery are you at risk for retinal detachment?

The mean pooled time to RD following surgery was 23.12 months (95\% CI: 17.79–28.45 months) with high heterogeneity between studies ( , ). Meta-analytic pooling for the risk of retinal detachment revealed a risk of 1.167\% (95\% CI: 0.900 to 1.468, , ).

Is detached retina common after cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery is known to carry a risk of subsequent retinal detachment which is estimated to be between 0.1 and 0.81\%. The risk for recurrent retinal detachment after cataract surgery in eyes that have previously undergone retinal detachment repair is, however, less well documented.

Can surgery on one eye affect the other eye?

Once the eye has healed but before the second procedure has taken place, patients may experience vision imbalance, also known as anisometropia. This is the result of one eye having been operated on and the other still having cataracts.

Can cataract surgery affect the other eye?

Most people cope very well following cataract surgery. However, some people will experience symptoms of anisometropia. Anisometropia is another way of describing an imbalance between the two eyes. This can sometimes happen following surgery, as your brain tries to adjust to the changes in your vision.

What are the risk factors for retinal detachment?

The following factors increase your risk of retinal detachment:

• Aging — retinal detachment is more common in people over age 50.
• Previous retinal detachment in one eye.
• Family history of retinal detachment.
• Extreme nearsightedness (myopia)
• Previous eye surgery, such as cataract removal.
• Previous severe eye injury.

Can cataract surgery be done on one eye only?

Yes, you can. In fact, you can have cataract surgery in just one eye or cataract surgery in both eyes at once, depending on the needs of your particular eyes. We recommend discussing these needs with your trusted ophthalmologist.

Can retinal detachment recur?

Recurrent detachment may occur more or less frequently after a variable lapse of time. Early recurrences occur within 6 weeks following the first surgery and late recurrences more than 6 weeks later. Insufficient treatment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) are the main causes of early recurrence.

Can retinal detachment happen again?

It is important to understand that a retinal detachment will almost always result in at least partial blindness if not repaired surgically. If the retina should happen to detach a second time, it will usually occur within several months of surgery, and it can often be repaired with another operation.