Odds of retinal detachment after cataract surgery

I am 55 years old and have a cataract in the right eye only.  I am planning to have cataract surgery on the right eye.  I am fairly nearsighted, but I am not planning to have surgery on the left eye at this time (not until a cataract actually develops in that eye).  Surgery is not needed on the left eye and my opthamologist told me that cataract surgery plus nearsightedness increases the chance of a retinal detachment.

Can you comment?  What are the chances that I would/could develop a retinal detachment after cataract surgery? Why do both near-sightedness and cataract surgery increase the odds of a retinal detachment?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Cataract surgery even successful surgery, even small incision phacoemulsification and stitchless  increases the risk of retinal detachment in EVERYONE due to shifts in the vitreous with the human lens gone and an IOL in the eye.

In the general population the risk of a retinal detachment is as low as one in 8 to 10 thousand. In cataract patients the risk is perhaps one in 500 to a 1000. In some patients such as highly myopic, those with complicated IOL surgery, family history of RD the risk can be as high as 2-6%

JCH MD

[zelmo]

After having cataract surgery and loosing the sight in my eye due to complications; I would suggest routine visits to a retinal specialist as well if you're in a high risk group.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[nian49]

A related discussion, RD risk and cataract surgery was started.