Abstract
Purpose: :
To report the largest case series to date of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for the correction of myopia ≤ -10.00 diopters (D), its characteristics, and its frequency at 10 years of follow up.
Methods: :
Retrospective single center interventional non-comparative case series. A total of 22,296 myopic eyes that underwent surgical correction of myopia ≤ -10.00 D participated in this study. LASIK for the correction of myopia was performed in all eyes. Patients were followed for a mean of 10 years after LASIK. The clinical charts of patients that developed rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) after LASIK were reviewed. Main outcome measures included RRD at 10 years.
Results: :
A total of 11,594 (52%) eyes came back for follow-up after LASIK at 10 years. Twenty-two eyes (19 patients) developed a RRD after LASIK. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachments occurred between 1 month and 13 years (mean: 31.6 ± 39.3 months) after LASIK. Eyes that developed a RRD had from -1.50 to -9.75 D of myopia (mean: -4.81 ± 2.2 D) before LASIK. Retinal detachment characteristics in our study revealed that most RRD and retinal breaks occur in the temporal quadrants (71.6%). Rhegmatogenous retinal detachments were managed with vitrectomy, cryoretinopexy, scleral buckling, argon laser retinopexy, or pneumatic retinopexy techniques. The frequency of RRD after LASIK determined in our study is 0.19% (22/11,594).
Conclusions: :
Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK for the correction of myopia ≤ -10.00 D is infrequent. RRD if managed promptly will result in good vision. We recommend that patients schedule for refractive surgery undergo a very thorough dilated indirect funduscopy with scleral depression and treatment of any retinal lesion predisposing for the development of a RRD before LASIK surgery should be performed.
Keywords: refractive surgery: complications • retinal detachment • myopia