Retinal detachment following surgery for congenital cataract: presentation and outcomes

Aims To review the current management and outcomes of retinal detachment following cataract surgery in childhood. Methods A retrospective review of 59 eyes of 52 patients. Results In 37% of patients, the fellow eye was blind (<3/60). The macula was detached at presentation in 81% of eyes. The detachment was obscured by residual lens matter, or a miotic pupil in 67% of eyes that had cataract surgery before 1970, but in only 30% of eyes operated after 1970. The retina was reattached with one operation in 59% of eyes, and final reattachment was achieved in 81%. No retina was reattached by scleral buckling alone. Visual outcomes were slightly better in eyes that had retinal detachment repair after 1 January 1998. Nine patients were blind in both eyes at the latest follow-up. Conclusions Retinal detachment following childhood cataract surgery remains a serious condition. There has been some improvement in the prognosis due to a combination of advances in childhood cataract surgery as well as to improvements in the management of retinal detachment. Early recognition and prompt surgery, using an internal approach, may prevent blindness in most cases.