Highly myopic male patients at increased risk for late retinal detachment

This analysis of claims and medical charts of insurance beneficiaries who underwent cataract surgery in Taiwan between 1999 and 2001 finds a significant increased risk of retinal detachment after four years in patients with high myopia (axial length > 26 mm; P = .026). Other risk factors included being male, young, and having a history of retinal detachment in the fellow eye. While moderate and highly myopic males showed a significant increase in detachment risk four years after surgery, there was no such increased risk among females, even those with high myopia. The cumulative risk increased with time, increasing to 2.31 percent by eight years.