Aphakic retinal detachment. Prophylaxis in the second eye.

One hundred and sixty-three cases of aphakic retinal detachment were reviewed and found to be divided equally between eyes which prior to cataract surgery had been myopic, highly myopic or in a low myope group. Only 30 per cent of the non-myopic eyes had not suffered some form of complication and these eyes constituted only 10 per cent of the whole study. It is concluded that non myopic eyes do not require prophylaxis but that most of the myopes do. Consideration should be given to extra-capsular cataract surgery in addition to prophylactic cryotherapy in the high risk groups.