Cataract extraction after retinal detachment.

Cataract surgery is a known risk factor for retinal detachment. The risk for retinal redetachment after cataract surgery in eyes that have previously undergone retinal detachment repair is not well documented but has recently been investigated. Eyes that have undergone previous scleral buckling surgery have good potential for positive visual outcome after cataract surgery, with a low rate of intraoperative complications and a low risk for recurrent retinal detachment. Eyes with complicated retinal detachments that have undergone vitrectomy as part of surgical repair may have a higher rate of intraoperative complications, including difficulty with nuclear expression during planned extracapsular cataract extraction and capsular tears during irrigation and aspiration. The risk for recurrent retinal detachment in these eyes is not known.