European researchers found the incidence of retinal detachment (RD) after refractive lens exchange (RLE) was approximately double that observed after cataract surgery with at least 24 months follow-up.
Writing in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, authors from Italy, Turkey and Germany said RLE is becoming a popular refractive solution for patients ineligible for corneal surgeries or phakic intraocular lenses, but concerns regarding RD risk persist. Their systematic literature review and meta-analysis of 40 studies included almost 8.6 million eyes and showed RD may be classified as a rare complication (1/1,000) after cataract surgery and an uncommon complication (1/500) after RLE. “While some limitations, such as the lack of long-term follow-up in certain studies and incomplete reporting of factors like axial length or posterior vitreous detachment status, may slightly influence the interpretation, these findings provide valuable insights,” said authors.
