Retinal detachment following late posterior capsulotomy.

When we compared the incidence of retinal detachment in 27 eyes after extracapsular cataract surgery and late posterior capsulotomy with the incidence of general aphakic detachment, we found no relationship between the onset of retinal detachment and the numbers, types, or locations of breaks. The interval between cataract extraction and discission had a significant effect on recovery of visual acuity. Final visual acuities of 20/400 or better were attained in 22 of 23 eyes in which discission followed cataract extraction by one year or more but in only one of four eyes in which the procedures were separated by less than one year. Delaying discission for more than 12 months may reduce the extent of retinal detachment and produce the best functional results. Detachments that occurred less than one year after discission were more extensive but achieved better functional results than those that occurred later.